The west is owed a lot of the thanks for the initial push to get medical marijuana recognized as a legitimate entity. California made history when it legalized medical marijuana in 1996. In 1998, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington followed and then Nevada legalized it in 2000. Short of Alaska, those are all states in the western half the country within the lower 48. I’m happy to see that the movement of marijuana legalization has reached both shores, but I still think the west should be held in high regard over the fight to end cannabis prohibition. New Mexico was another one of the initial states to legalize medical marijuana when it passed a law signed by former Governor Bill Richardson in 2007. I moved to Albuquerque in 2009 and one of the first things I did was get a medical marijuana card as a new resident of New Mexico. It was $30 every year to register myself with the state as a medical marijuana patient in Albuquerque. We only had a few medical cannabis dispensaries back then, with a few in Los Volcanes, Downtown, and Nob Hill. Now that New Mexico has legalized cannabis for recreational use as well, I no longer have to pay the money to the state for a medical marijuana card or any money to a cannabis doctor to keep getting my recommendation for dispensary weed. It’s a lot nicer having a wider selection of dispensaries these days as well, especially throughout Albuquerque and the rest of Bernalillo County. You can find weed for many different budgets, especially if you want top shelf, cultivar-quality cannabis.