NMRLD Superintendent Linda Trujillo
NMRLD News:
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (NMRLD) announced today that it has filed a Petition for Preliminary Injunction and is seeking an order from the Second Judicial District Court to require Sawmill Sweet Leaf, LLC to immediately cease and desist all cannabis-related activities at the company’s sole business location, 1501 Mountain Dr. NW in Albuquerque.
The petition lays out evidence showing the business has been unlawfully selling out-of-state cannabis products and manufacturing cannabis extracts using volatile solvents without the proper license from the Cannabis Control Division (CCD) or permit from the Construction Industries Division’s LP Gas Bureau.
As a result of House Bill 384, which became effective on June 19, 2023, a new provision was added to the Uniform Licensing Act allowing licensing agencies to seek a preliminary injunction if a licensee engages in unlawful activity that poses an immediate threat to public health and safety.
“A key component of compliance actions is the ability to suspend licenses immediately if they pose an immediate threat to the health, safety and lives of consumers,” NMRLD Superintendent Linda Trujillo said. “While the licensee in question will still receive due process through a formal hearing, we can now ensure New Mexicans are protected from dangerous products or a life-threatening explosion in the interim.”
Evidence obtained by the CCD shows that the Sawmill Sweet Leaf LLC engaged in selling out-of-state cannabis products that have not been tested in accordance with New Mexico law to ensure they do not contain dangerous contaminants or adulterants. Untested cannabis products pose a particular risk of severe bodily harm to qualified patients who purchase cannabis products to treat an illness and, in many cases, are immuno-comprised.
Further, CCD compliance inspectors have evidence that Sawmill Sweet Leaf LLC has been operating an unlicensed closed-loop extraction system at its facility in Albuquerque, which poses a risk of fire and/or explosion that may result in severe bodily harm or death.
Along with its retail license, Sawmill Sweet Leaf holds licenses for Integrated Cannabis Microbusiness, Cannabis Producer Microbusiness, and Cannabis Manufacturer II, which allows the business to manufacture edibles or topical cannabis but does not allow for any type of extraction.
Judge Elaine P. Lujan of the Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County presides over this case (#D-202-CV-2023-06050). A hearing on the Petition has not yet been set.
The full Petition for Preliminary Injunction can be viewed here.