New rules proposed by state officials would require medical marijuana users in New Mexico to pay a new $50 fee annually to renew their state registry cards and also triple some producers' annual license fees to up to $90,000.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, producers say the proposed regulations would force growers to raise prices, which would encourage users to seek out illegal sources.
Department spokesman Kenny Vigil says the higher fee for producers would apply only to those who choose to grow additional plants.
The proposed rules also would allow producers to grow more plants, and Vigil says that change is intended to expand the supply of medical marijuana.
He says the new $50 fee for users is intended to help pay for the department's operational costs.
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