High Horse Cannabis Company will attend the January 31, 2023 El Paso City Council meeting to request that they take action to help Texas cannabis consumers.
“Our dispensary in Chaparral, New Mexico serves many Texas residents and I think it’s time for things to change in Texas,” Ruben Aguilar, Chief Executive Officer for High Horse said. “We hope the City of El Paso will join us in asking that the state end cannabis prohibition,” he added.
New Mexico legalized cannabis for all adults in 2021 and began legal sales in 2022. Aguilar says Texas residents are common patients at High Horse.
“Texas residents are welcome because everyone deserves to have access to medicine,” Aguilar said. He added that many people suffer from conditions that cannabis helps with.
David Hill, a Veteran of the United States Air Force, and Director of Manufacturing for High Horse says he uses cannabis to help improve this quality of life.
“But I can’t take it home because I live in Texas, and if I get caught with my medicine in Texas it would disrupt everything in my life and cause harm to my family and friends,” Hill said. “Cannabis prohibition in Texas doesn’t just hurt the people taking this medicine, and we’re starting to think we should leave Texas.”
Nicole Jordan, Brand Advocate for High Horse also lives in El Paso and has experience with Texas law enforcement.
“In January of 2020 I had a traumatic life experience that included cannabis and excessive force by EPPD. I was facing felony charges that at the end were reduced to a misdemeanor,” Jordan said.
“The uncertainty of my future during the legal process not only affected me but my family, and
it pains me to think of the similar trauma fellow El Pasoans have gone through due to their choice of medicine,” Jordan added.
Tracy Martinez, another El Paso resident working for High Horse as the Social Media and Special Event Coordinator, had a similar encounter with Texas law enforcement.
“It still hurts to think about that experience,” Martinez said. “I don’t want anyone to have to go through that just because they use cannabis as alternative medicine. It’s unjust, hurtful, and wrong,” she added.
Colt DeMorris, Chief of Retail Operations for High Horse and Executive Director for El Paso NORML says that El Paso has done a good job working with people given the laws in the state.
“El Paso City Council passed an unenforceable resolution to cite and release people found in possession of misdemeanor amounts of cannabis,” DeMorris said. “If we could get them to make it an enforceable ordinance, they would help lots of people, tax payers, and free up resources in our justice system.”
DeMorris also said the City Council should pass a resolution asking the State of Texas to end cannabis prohibition and expunge non-violent cannabis offenses from people’s records.
“It is time for El Paso’s leadership to stand-up to the State for the end of cannabis prohibition like other municipalities across the State of Texas have,” DeMorris said.
Aguilar said the people working for High Horse inspired these actions.
“It’s time to end cannabis prohibition everywhere and since some of us have roots in El Paso, we’re ready to push this conversation here,” Aguilar said. “This law creates a lot of pain and suffering for no justifiable reason, which is ironic considering how helpful cannabis is for people,” he added.
Aguilar says several employees have already signed up to speak at the February 1, 2023 El Paso City Council meeting to ask their councilors to join in their efforts.
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