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UPDATED: Marijuana industry donates $13,500 to majority leader Nate Gentry

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IMG_6117Marijuana-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.

RecpientOfficeAmountDate ContributionContributorCityStateOccupationFiling Period
Practical Policies NM PACPAC4005/29/14Erik Briones, Minerva Canna GroupSanta FeNMPresident/CEO2014 Fourth Primary
New Mexico Defense FundPAC2009/15/14New Mexicann Natural MedicineSanta FeNew Mexico2014 Second General
Nate Gentrystate House20003/31/16Natural RXAlbuquerqueNMMedical Cannabis Producer2016 First Primary
Nate Gentrystate House5003/31/16Maintenance 7 LLCAlbuquerqueNMMedical Cannabis Producer2016 First Primary
Nate Gentrystate House40003/31/16Ultra Health LLCScottsdaleAZMedical Cannabis Producer2016 First Primary
Nate Gentrystate House50003/31/16Duke RodriguezScottsdaleAZUltra Health LLC2016 First Primary
Nate Gentrystate House10003/3/16Ultra Health LLCScottsdaleAZMedical Cannabis Producer2016 First Primary
Nate Gentrystate House10002/29/16Trevor ReedPlacitasNMNatural Rx2016 First Primary
Cisco Mcsorleystate Senate100012/29/15New Mexicann Natural MedicineSanta Fe, NMBusiness2016 First Primary
Cisco Mcsorleystate Senate100012/29/15Sacred GardenSanta FeNMHerbal Remedy2016 First Primary
Tim Kellerstate auditor50010/20/14R. Greenleaf OrganicsAlbuquerqueNMMedical Cannabis2014 Third General
Elizabeth Thomsonstate House5009/20/14R. Greenleaf OrganicsAlbuquerqueNMBusiness2014 Second General
Stephanie Garcia Richardstate House5009/13/14R. Greenleaf OrganicsAlbuquerqueNMnonprofit organization2014 Second General
Cisco Mcsorleystate Senate5009/9/14Red Barn GrowersGallupNMherbal Medicine2014 Second Biannual
Cisco Mcsorleystate Senate5009/9/14High Desert ReliefABQNMHerbal Medicine2014 Second Biannual
Cisco Mcsorleystate Senate5009/9/14Verdes FoundationABQNMHerbal Medicine2014 Second Biannual
Cisco Mcsorleystate Senate20009/9/14Natural RXABQNMHerbal2014 Second Biannual
Cisco Mcsorleystate Senate5009/9/14MCG, INCABQNMHerbal Medicine2014 Second Biannual
Emily Kanestate House5009/8/14R. Greenleaf OrganicsAlbuquerqueNMBusiness2014 Second General
Jesse CasausSandoval County sheriff10009/2/14Natural RXPlacitasNMBusiness Owner2014 Second General
Jesse CasausSandoval County sheriff10008/15/14GC Corrigan LLCPlacitasNMBusiness Owner2014 First General
Gary Kinggovernor1007/9/14Verdes FoundationAlbuquerqueNM2014 First General
Gary Kinggovernor5007/9/14Natural RXPlacitasNMHealthcare2014 First General
Gary Kinggovernor5007/9/14Natural RXPlacitasNMHealthcare2014 First General
Alan Webbergovernor5006/1/14New Mexicann Natural MedicineSanta FeNM2014 Fourth Primary
Alan Webbergovernor20005/16/14Natural RXPlacitasNMMedical Cannabis Dispensary2014 Third Primary
Alan Webbergovernor20005/16/14Natural RXPlacitasNMMedical Cannabis Dispensary2014 Third Primary
Lori Archibequemagistrate1003/31/14Compassionate DistributorsRuidosoNM2014 First Primary
Zach Cookstate House25010/31/12Compassionate DistributorsRuidosoNMBusiness2013 First Biannual
Zach Cookstate House25010/25/12Compassionate DistributorsRuidosoNMBusinessThird General Report 2012
Daniel Ivey-Sotostate Senate5009/3/12R. Greenleaf OrganicsAlbuquerqueNMOrganicsFirst General Report 2012
Daniel Ivey-Sotostate Senate5008/27/12Compassionate DistributorsRuidosoNMDistributionFirst General Report 2012
Daniel Ivey-Sotostate Senate5008/27/12Natural RXPlacitasNMDistributionFirst General Report 2012
Gerald Ortiz Y Pinostate Senate10001/6/16Natural RXAlbuquerqueNMmedical marijuana2016 First Primary
New Mexico FreedomPAC100011/28/15MJ Express-OTruth or ConsequencesNMMedical Marijuana Dispensary2016 First Primary
New Mexico FreedomPAC50012/9/15MJ Express-OLas CrucesNMMedical Marijuana Dispensary2016 First Primary
New Mexico FreedomPAC100012/22/15Natural RXAlbuquerqueNMMedical Marijuana Dispensary2016 First Primary
New Mexico FreedomPAC50012/5/15Duke RodriguezScottsdaleAZMedical Marijuana Grower2016 First Primary

6 thoughts on “UPDATED: Marijuana industry donates $13,500 to majority leader Nate Gentry”

  2. 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!

  3. 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.

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