In a surprise move tonight, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to strike marijuana from the state's list of Schedule 1 controlled substances.
This came in the form of an amendment, from Sen. Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque, to Senate Bill 127, sponsored by Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, D-Sandia Park.
Wilson's bill would designate more than 100 synthetic cannabinoids and other chemicals as Schedule I substances. Schedule 1 drugs are those the government says have with no currently accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse. For years drug-law reform advocates have argued that marijuana does not belong in this category.
SB 127 was aimed at synthetic drugs known as "spice" and "K2." McSorley's amendment did not affect that part of Befford's original bill.
The committee vote went along party lines with Republicans voting against the amendment.
The bill goes now to the full Senate.A proposed constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana for adults died this week in the Senate Rules Committee.
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