Rule change doubles number of cannabis plants for growers

Copyright © 2022 Albuquerque JournalAn emergency state-level rule change doubled the number of cannabis plants that licensed growers can cultivate at one time, but some in the industry are concerned that the change is too little, too late to meet demand for the start of recreational sales in April. The emergency rule change, which went into place last week, increases the maximum number of mature cannabis plants that licensed growers can grow at one time from 10,000 to 20,000. “The supply of medical cannabis will become increasingly threatened without an adequate supply of plants,” Thomson wrote. Duke Rodriguez, president and CEO of Ultra Health, the state’s largest cannabis producer, called the change “great news,” but said it likely wouldn’t significantly change the amount of cannabis that will be available in April. He said it typically takes around 5½ months to get a cannabis plant in the ground and ready for harvest, so additional plants wouldn’t be ready for harvest by April.