Artesia's first cannabis retailer opens in previous admired eatery

A makeover of a former popular Artesia restaurant was complete as Roswell-based cannabis retailer Pecos Valley Production opened a new shop at the former Chaos Café Sept. 16.

The Artesia retail store is Pecos Valley Productions seventeenth store in New Mexico and the third in Eddy County, according to the company’s website.

More:A visit to Pecos Oasis cannabis dispensary in downtown Carlsbad

The cannabis outlet announced a soft opening last week in a Facebook post.

Pecos Valley Production has two locations in Carlsbad at 810 West Mermod Street and at 812 North Canal Street, per the company website.

City of Artesia Community Development Director Jim McGuire said Pecos Valley Production is unique in that it is the only retail cannabis shop between Roswell and Carlsbad.

He said the City has not received any applications from other retailers since the Artesia City Council approved a special use permit for Pecos Valley Production April 12.

Artesia City Councilor Raul Rodriguez said April's vote was a business decision for the betterment of the community.

"They're going to create revenue for the City through gross receipts taxes," he said.

Rodriguez said Pecos Valley Production complied with all rules set by the City for Artesia for cannabis establishments.

"We did not get much resistance from the public. We embrace new businesses in our community," he said.

Artesia could be home to other cannabis type businesses in the future, according to data from the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (NMRLD).

A cannabis producer microbusiness license was approved by the State for Brownsen Knowingham, LLC.

More:Cannabis business interest grows as State issues licenses in Eddy County

The New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) defined a cannabis producer microbusiness as an entity that possesses no more than 200 total cannabis mature plants at one time.

Draft licenses were submitted to NMRLD for another microbusiness producer, a cannabis manufacturer and cannabis producer within the Artesia area, per the state agency’s website.

Recreational cannabis sales in New Mexico became legal on April 1 of this year after the New Mexico Legislature passed the Cannabis Regulation Act in 2021.

The Act legalized the cultivation, manufacture, purchase, possession, and consumption of adult use cannabis for adults 21 and older, cited NMRLD’s website.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the legislation into law after lawmakers passed it.

Medical cannabis was legalized in New Mexico in 2007 with the passing of the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, which allowed used of medical cannabis for people with certain medical conditions, read the New Mexico Legislature's website.

Combined sales of medical and recreational cannabis benefitted Carlsbad and Hobbs for the past five months, per overall sales data from NMRLD’s Cannabis Control Division (CCD).

Cannabis sales in Hobbs totaled $7.7 million from April to August and sales in Carlsbad were over $5 million in the same time frame, according to NMRLD news releases.

Hobbs was fifth in combined cannabis sales last month behind Las Cruces, Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

Artesia's Chaos Cafe could make way for a recreational cannabis dispensary. A public hearing for a special use permit for a recreational cannabis business was scheduled before the Artesia City April 12, 2022.
Artesia's Chaos Cafe could make way for a recreational cannabis dispensary. A public hearing for a special use permit for a recreational cannabis business was scheduled before the Artesia City April 12, 2022.

Carlsbad was seventh in combined August cannabis sales, read a news release from NMRLD.

Last month combined cannabis sales in New Mexico were over $40 million.

NMRLD Spokesperson Bernice Geiger said September cannabis sales in New Mexico would be tallied and released in early October.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Artesia gets first cannabis retail shop in former restaurant