New Mexico cannabis store broken into ahead of state’s adult-use sales launch

Just Released! Get realistic market forecasts, state-by-state insights and benchmarks with the new 2024 MJBiz Factbook member program, now with quarterly updates. Make informed decisions.


An Albuquerque, New Mexico, cannabis retail store was the victim of a break-in as it prepared for a grand opening and only a week before the state began recreational marijuana sales.

Medical marijuana dispensary Xtracts – which is also licensed to also sell adult-use products – experienced significant damage when thieves broke through the walls of an adjacent business March 25, Albuquerque TV station KOB reported.

Despite the damage, Xtracts was expected to be open Friday for the first day of adult-use sales in New Mexico, according to the TV station.

David White, founder of MMJ company Organtica and owner of Xtracts, told KOB that the store doesn’t leave any product out at night, so the would-be thieves left empty-handed.

Still, the incident is a reminder to marijuana business in New Mexico and around the U.S. about the importance of having ample security measures in place.

Stay informed with MJBiz Newsletters

MJBiz’s family of newsletters gives cannabis professionals an edge in this rapidly changing industry.

Featured newsletters:
  • MJBizDaily: Business news for cannabis leaders in your inbox each morning
  • MJBiz Cultivator: Insights for wholesale cannabis growers & vertically integrated businesses
  • MJBizCon Buzz: Behind-the-scenes buzz on everything MJBizCon
  • MJBiz Retail + Brand: New products, trends and news for cannabis retailers, distributors and marketers
  • Hemp Industry Week: Roundup of news from hemp farming to CBD product manufacturing
  • And more!

 

Marijuana businesses continue to battle thieves who see the cash-only industry as a ripe target for robberies, leading to a growing call to change federal law barring the companies from banking services.

White advised New Mexico’s marijuana store owners to hire a monitoring service and determine where in the store criminals could break in, including through skylights or digging a tunnel underneath the store.