Aug 2, 2022 - World

New Mexico teachers quit classroom to open marijuana dispensary

Five women pose while leaning on a glass case full of marijuana accessories, like glass pipes — From left: Jamie Munsey, Laura Lagarda, Gina Mares, Mary Jean Garcia, Mallory Garcia, at their marijuana dispensary in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Photo courtesy of Cody Garcia.

A group of middle school teachers in Albuquerque, New Mexico, decided over a happy hour late last year to quit their jobs and open a cannabis dispensary.

The big picture: The women are among a small number of Latinas in the U.S. who have opened dispensaries as more states legalize recreational pot.

Details: La Tiendita de Motita opened last week. It was founded by five women—Mary Jean Garcia, Mallory Garcia, Jamie Munsey, Gina Mares and Laura Legarda — who wanted to do something different and destigmatize marijuana use. Only one still teaches.

The women were teachers for several years but wanted to spend more time with family and take on a new challenge, they said.
"I do feel like we were raised being taught weed is bad," Mallory Garcia said.
She said they want to teach others — especially elderly people for whom marijuana is still deeply stigmatized — that cannabis can have medicinal benefits.

Between the lines: Hispanics account for only 5.7% of licensed cannabis business owners, according to the National Hispanic Cannabis Council, an organization formed to address the underrepresentation of Hispanics in the cannabis business. The council based its findings on a survey and says there's no national database tracking dispensary owners' race or ethnicity.

Finding financing is among the biggest struggles.
The teachers said they sold assets and cashed out retirement funds to start La Tiendita. They hope eventually to have their own cannabis farm.

State of play: The New Mexico bill that legalized recreational weed earlier this year included provisions to help people with limited funding and resources get in the door, its Democrat co-author Sen. Gerald “Jerry” Ortiz y Pino tells Axios.

Low-cost loans are also available for micro producers, micro manufacturers, and micro retailers, Democratic State Rep. Javier Martínez, another author, told Axios.

The intrigue: The New Mexico law also allows cannabis business owners to extend their retail license to cover other ventures, like production, manufacturing or courier services, state Rep. Javier Martínez, a co-author, said.

"That is a game changer," Martínez said.
The law allows for a micro-business license to cultivate up to 200 plants for a flat $1,000 fee aimed at attracting first-time commercial growers.

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New Mexico teachers quit classroom to open marijuana dispensary

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