In two short days, dispensaries across Las Cruces and Doña Ana County will make history as recreational marijuana sales start in New Mexico.
The tax revenue from marijuana will certainly diversify New Mexico's economy but by how much?
"We will be better positioned than other states to capture the market," said Kelly O'Donnell, a northern New Mexico economist who studies the financial impact of social policy.
"Once there is legalization at the federal level, we'll be in a position to export cannabis."