The conversation about whether New Mexico should join other western states in legalizing marijuana is cranking up again as state lawmakers prepare for the legislative session.
Rep. Bill McCamley, a Democrat from southern New Mexico, is taking his case for legalization to fellow lawmakers during a meeting Tuesday in Santa Fe.
McCamley tells the Associated Press legislation has yet to be crafted but Oregon is being looked at as a model. Voters in that state and Alaska and the District of Columbia approved ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana earlier this month.
In New Mexico, the legalization push follows the success of ballot questions in two of the state's most populous counties that gauged voter support for decriminalizing marijuana.
The New Mexico Sheriffs' Association says it's researching the effects legalization has had in other states.
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