Governors on Cannabis Legalization, Earth Day & 2022 Gov’s Race | 4.22.21

This week on New Mexico in Focus, the co-hosts of the NMPBS podcast Growing Forward speak with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham about New Mexico’s new recreational cannabis laws, which legalize the practice starting at the end of June, with sales to begin a year from now. The package also provides for expungement of certain cannabis-related crimes. The governor called a special session to push the legislation over the finish line and signed the bills into law shortly thereafter. Then, the pair speaks with former Gov. Gary Johnson, who was an early champion of legalization. The then-Republican took a lot of heat for his stance two decades ago and for his prediction that legalized cannabis was on the horizon.  The Line opinion panel examines the entry of Jay Block into the race for the Republican nomination for governor. The Sandoval County Commissioner looks to take on Gov. Lujan Grisham in 2022. The group also weighs in on the revamp of the popular New Mexico True tourism program and the possible merger of PNM with an East Coast energy company. As the world celebrates Earth Day, environment correspondent Laura Paskus reflects on how we relate to the world that we inherited from our ancestors and borrowed from our descendants. Host:  Gene Grant  Line Opinion Panel: Merritt Allen, Vox Optima public relations  Serge Martinez, UNM Law professor  H. Diane Snyder, former state senator Segments: Growing Forward with Governors Correspondents:   Megan Kamerick, co-host, Growing Forward podcast  Andy Lyman, co-host, Growing Forward podcast  Guests:   Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham  Former Gov. Gary Johnson Look Up on Earth Day Correspondent: Laura Paskus