Cannabis, Dispensaries & Human Trafficking

Cannabis can be purchased for medical and recreational use since it was legalized in NM in 2021, yet there are growing concerns of rampant exploitation & trafficking in the cannabis production industry.

Cannabis products are marketed artistically with beautiful graphics but there may be a more sinister layer beneath the laid back and appealing packaging; labor exploitation and abuse that amount to serious human rights violations.

Many grow sites are located on remote, inaccessible farms with very little oversight or protective factors for the vulnerable populations working on them. Workers can toil without days off or breaks, for long shifts, often 12-16 hours, with little to no pay, lack of proper food, shelter and medical care, some report physical abuse and psychological threats to life and family.

You may wonder why anyone would stay but one of the msot powerful tools that traffickers use is preying on their victim’s hope and desperation. Many are promised payouts after harvest that never happen, and if they do, they are charged fees for water, shelter, food, and other expenses that are racked up to effectively diminish most of the pay they are entitled to.

While regulating licensed cannabis farms is an ongoing and evolving practice in NM, and across the country, compliance issues are difficult to enforce. While many cannabis farms are operating legally and within state compliance guidelines, many are not.

We hope to spread awareness about some of the abysmal and exploitive environments and practices taking place at illicit operations. Help spread awareness and ask your shop if they know from where their product is sourced and how their product is produced. Together we can eradicate human trafficking and labor exploitation. 🩵💙