Company vows to sue over damages after New Mexico authorities destroy cannabis crops

State constabulary person destroyed tens of thousands of pounds of marijuana plants astatine greenhouses successful northwestern New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- State constabulary person destroyed tens of thousands of pounds of marijuana plants astatine greenhouses successful northwestern New Mexico, marking what regulators opportunity is nan largest seizure and demolition of cannabis successful New Mexico since caller possession and cultivation laws took effect successful 2021.

Authorities announced nan cognition Monday, saying dozens of agents were assigned to eliminate nan plants successful October. The authorities Cannabis Control Division had started nan process of revoking nan licence of NNK Equity LLC, having revenge a noncompliance bid and a default bid earlier this year.

The institution was accused of not posting its licenses connected site, failing to get h2o authorities for cultivation, not having cameras that could show definite areas of its cognition and violating sanitation and wellness requirements.

“The statement progressive showed a blatant disregard for nan laws of this authorities and we will beryllium that erstwhile this investigation is over,” New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler said successful a statement.

Jacob Candelaria, an Albuquerque lawyer who represents NNK Equity, disputed nan state's claims and accused regulators and authorities constabulary of violating his client's civilian rights. He said nan authorities grounded to decently service announcement of its intent to revoke nan company's licence and subsequently denied a petition for a proceeding connected nan merits of nan case.

He said clients Irving Lin and Bao Xue speak Mandarin Chinese and person constricted expertise to understand nan written English language. Lin asked for a Chinese translation, but nan lawyer said regulators did not respond to his request.

The Cannabis Control Division stated successful filings related to nan lawsuit that it complied pinch announcement and proceeding requirements and had afforded nan institution its owed process rights.

The institution plans to inquire a authorities territory judge to group speech nan bid revoking nan licence and to bid authorities regulators to clasp a hearing, Candelaria said. He added that NNK Equity besides plans to writer nan authorities for destroying what he said amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars of backstage property.

“The thought that rule enforcement officers tin destruct nationalist spot based upon a impermanent restraining bid — which tin beryllium entered without announcement to each parties and earlier a proceeding connected nan grounds — which was nan lawsuit here, should interest each of america who judge successful nan Constitution.”

According to authorities regulators, NNK Equity was issued a licence successful December 2023 for a marijuana increasing cognition astatine a spot successful Waterflow, a agrarian area connected nan separator of nan Navajo Nation and conscionable southbound of nan Colorado border. The region besides made headlines earlier this twelvemonth when authorities regulators cracked down connected 2 different operations and Navajo Nation authorities ended up filing their ain charges against 2 tribal members.

In nan latest case, nan Cannabis Control Division conducted a compliance cheque successful June and wished that NNK Equity had exceeded its allotted works count. The New Mexico State Police Special Investigations Unit was brought successful and later recovered plants astatine a 2nd location that was not licensed.

The violations outlined by authorities regulators besides impact proscription and search requirements, which see assigning identifying numbers to each plant.