Marijuana-related businesses and their executives donated at least $13,500 to House Majority Leader Nate Gentry, a report filed Sunday reveals.
Of that, $10,000 came from Ultra Health LLC and its founder, Duke Rodriguez, a former Lovelace Medical Center executive. The Scottsdale, Ariz., based for-profit recently took over management of Santa Fe’s New Mexico Top Organics, according to Peter St. Cyr’s recent report in the Santa Fe Reporter.
Gentry, an Albuquerque Republican, received $5,000 each from the company and Rodriguez. He also received $2,000 from Natural RX, an Albuquerque medical cannabis business, and $1,000 from its executive director, Trevor Reed. Maintenance 7 donated $500. That company is listed on Gentry’s report as a medical cannabis producer in Albuquerque, but isn’t listed as a producer by the New Mexico Department of Health.
New Mexico In Depth identified at least $35,200 in contributions to New Mexico candidates from marijuana-related businesses since 2012 after seeing a tweet from @etysn Sunday about Gentry’s contributions. NMID searched campaign filings for names on the Department of Health list, as well as occupations related to cannabis. (This post has been updated with new numbers.)
NMID did not receive responses calls and emails to Gentry and phone messages left for Rodriguez.
Gentry’s marijuana money is a fraction of the $132,560 he reported raising from October through the end of March.
An effort to let voters decide whether to legalize marijuana failed on the Senate floor earlier this year. Efforts to legalize hemp production also have failed.
Sen. Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque, an advocate of both those efforts, has received $6,000 from medical cannabis businesses, including $2,000 in his most recent report.
Alan Webber received $4,500 in his Democratic gubernatorial primary run in 2014, while the winner of that primary, former Attorney General Gary King received $1,100.
Natural RX is the top donor among the companies, giving $12,500 to candidates since 2012.
New Mexico Freedom, a PAC supporting Democratic candidates, received $3,000 from marijuana-related interests.
Two political action committees reported receiving $600 from such businesses in 2014.
Below is a list of candidate that have received contributions from marijuana-related businesses and executives, updated through filings as of 12 a.m. Tuesday.
Recpient | Office | Amount | Date Contribution | Contributor | City | State | Occupation | Filing Period |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Practical Policies NM PAC | PAC | 400 | 5/29/14 | Erik Briones, Minerva Canna Group | Santa Fe | NM | President/CEO | 2014 Fourth Primary |
New Mexico Defense Fund | PAC | 200 | 9/15/14 | New Mexicann Natural Medicine | Santa Fe | New Mexico | 2014 Second General | |
Nate Gentry | state House | 2000 | 3/31/16 | Natural RX | Albuquerque | NM | Medical Cannabis Producer | 2016 First Primary |
Nate Gentry | state House | 500 | 3/31/16 | Maintenance 7 LLC | Albuquerque | NM | Medical Cannabis Producer | 2016 First Primary |
Nate Gentry | state House | 4000 | 3/31/16 | Ultra Health LLC | Scottsdale | AZ | Medical Cannabis Producer | 2016 First Primary |
Nate Gentry | state House | 5000 | 3/31/16 | Duke Rodriguez | Scottsdale | AZ | Ultra Health LLC | 2016 First Primary |
Nate Gentry | state House | 1000 | 3/3/16 | Ultra Health LLC | Scottsdale | AZ | Medical Cannabis Producer | 2016 First Primary |
Nate Gentry | state House | 1000 | 2/29/16 | Trevor Reed | Placitas | NM | Natural Rx | 2016 First Primary |
Cisco Mcsorley | state Senate | 1000 | 12/29/15 | New Mexicann Natural Medicine | Santa Fe, | NM | Business | 2016 First Primary |
Cisco Mcsorley | state Senate | 1000 | 12/29/15 | Sacred Garden | Santa Fe | NM | Herbal Remedy | 2016 First Primary |
Tim Keller | state auditor | 500 | 10/20/14 | R. Greenleaf Organics | Albuquerque | NM | Medical Cannabis | 2014 Third General |
Elizabeth Thomson | state House | 500 | 9/20/14 | R. Greenleaf Organics | Albuquerque | NM | Business | 2014 Second General |
Stephanie Garcia Richard | state House | 500 | 9/13/14 | R. Greenleaf Organics | Albuquerque | NM | nonprofit organization | 2014 Second General |
Cisco Mcsorley | state Senate | 500 | 9/9/14 | Red Barn Growers | Gallup | NM | herbal Medicine | 2014 Second Biannual |
Cisco Mcsorley | state Senate | 500 | 9/9/14 | High Desert Relief | ABQ | NM | Herbal Medicine | 2014 Second Biannual |
Cisco Mcsorley | state Senate | 500 | 9/9/14 | Verdes Foundation | ABQ | NM | Herbal Medicine | 2014 Second Biannual |
Cisco Mcsorley | state Senate | 2000 | 9/9/14 | Natural RX | ABQ | NM | Herbal | 2014 Second Biannual |
Cisco Mcsorley | state Senate | 500 | 9/9/14 | MCG, INC | ABQ | NM | Herbal Medicine | 2014 Second Biannual |
Emily Kane | state House | 500 | 9/8/14 | R. Greenleaf Organics | Albuquerque | NM | Business | 2014 Second General |
Jesse Casaus | Sandoval County sheriff | 1000 | 9/2/14 | Natural RX | Placitas | NM | Business Owner | 2014 Second General |
Jesse Casaus | Sandoval County sheriff | 1000 | 8/15/14 | GC Corrigan LLC | Placitas | NM | Business Owner | 2014 First General |
Gary King | governor | 100 | 7/9/14 | Verdes Foundation | Albuquerque | NM | 2014 First General | |
Gary King | governor | 500 | 7/9/14 | Natural RX | Placitas | NM | Healthcare | 2014 First General |
Gary King | governor | 500 | 7/9/14 | Natural RX | Placitas | NM | Healthcare | 2014 First General |
Alan Webber | governor | 500 | 6/1/14 | New Mexicann Natural Medicine | Santa Fe | NM | 2014 Fourth Primary | |
Alan Webber | governor | 2000 | 5/16/14 | Natural RX | Placitas | NM | Medical Cannabis Dispensary | 2014 Third Primary |
Alan Webber | governor | 2000 | 5/16/14 | Natural RX | Placitas | NM | Medical Cannabis Dispensary | 2014 Third Primary |
Lori Archibeque | magistrate | 100 | 3/31/14 | Compassionate Distributors | Ruidoso | NM | 2014 First Primary | |
Zach Cook | state House | 250 | 10/31/12 | Compassionate Distributors | Ruidoso | NM | Business | 2013 First Biannual |
Zach Cook | state House | 250 | 10/25/12 | Compassionate Distributors | Ruidoso | NM | Business | Third General Report 2012 |
Daniel Ivey-Soto | state Senate | 500 | 9/3/12 | R. Greenleaf Organics | Albuquerque | NM | Organics | First General Report 2012 |
Daniel Ivey-Soto | state Senate | 500 | 8/27/12 | Compassionate Distributors | Ruidoso | NM | Distribution | First General Report 2012 |
Daniel Ivey-Soto | state Senate | 500 | 8/27/12 | Natural RX | Placitas | NM | Distribution | First General Report 2012 |
Gerald Ortiz Y Pino | state Senate | 1000 | 1/6/16 | Natural RX | Albuquerque | NM | medical marijuana | 2016 First Primary |
New Mexico Freedom | PAC | 1000 | 11/28/15 | MJ Express-O | Truth or Consequences | NM | Medical Marijuana Dispensary | 2016 First Primary |
New Mexico Freedom | PAC | 500 | 12/9/15 | MJ Express-O | Las Cruces | NM | Medical Marijuana Dispensary | 2016 First Primary |
New Mexico Freedom | PAC | 1000 | 12/22/15 | Natural RX | Albuquerque | NM | Medical Marijuana Dispensary | 2016 First Primary |
New Mexico Freedom | PAC | 500 | 12/5/15 | Duke Rodriguez | Scottsdale | AZ | Medical Marijuana Grower | 2016 First Primary |
This is great, laws working right and the people benefiting as a cause.
Sandra, I never received a call or message and I apologize if in fact you left a message and I failed to get back to you. Best wishes and please consider using the word ‘cannabis’ instead of ‘marijuana’. Thank you, Duke Rodriguez
Called your office in Scottsdale twice, left a message at 10:45, called again an hour later. Email me your contact details, if that isn’t the place to call. fish (at) nmindepth.com
thanks!
Email sent and thank you for responding. Duke
It is technically true that hemp legalization failed in 2015. But it actually passed both houses by wide margins. Then to the amazement of most legislators, Governor Martinez vetoed it. Her message was a non sequitur: “Hemp is still illegal in the US.” She ignored the okay given by the Congress to hemp cultivation in the 2014 Federal Agriculture Department Appropriation bill…provided any State that wanted to permit hemp cultivation had to pass a bill authorizing it. That was the bill she vetoed. It is on her shoulders exclusively that while a dozen or more other states are beginning to realize the benefits of hemp production, NM is once again on the outside, looking in.
thanks for the clarification Senator!