We, the undersigned, are residents, business owners, medical cannabis patients, hikers, students, and concerned citizens of Silver City and the greater Grant County community. We are calling for immediate and decisive action regarding the ongoing, unchecked operation of Grateful Living Cannabis Company, located at 306 N Bullard Street in downtown Silver City.

While this business may technically operate within the narrow bounds of federal law—by exploiting the 2018 Farm Bill’s loophole allowing the sale of hemp-derived products—it has repeatedly engaged in behavior that is deceptive, unethical, and dangerous to public health and safety.

This is not a petition against legal cannabis or even hemp-derived products. Smoke hemp if you want to. That’s not the issue. The issue is that consumers have a right to know exactly what they’re purchasing—without having to do prior research just to figure out whether a storefront is legitimate, especially when they’re from out of town.

This is a demand for accountability from a business that operates under the guise of legitimacy while actively harming our community.

Grateful Living regularly misleads customers about the nature of its products, failing to disclose that what they sell is not legitimate, regulated cannabis. This has created confusion—especially among vulnerable groups like medical cannabis patients, students, and CDT hikers—who are led to believe they are purchasing medicine or products held to the standards and oversight of New Mexico’s regulated cannabis program. This is false, dangerous, and exploitative.

The business has taken deliberate advantage of WNMU students, CDT hikers, and out-of-state tourists unfamiliar with local cannabis laws by preying on their lack of knowledge. Consumers shouldn’t have to verify licensing status or navigate legal gray areas just to shop safely—particularly in a historic downtown intended to foster transparency and trustworthy commerce. The current situation is both unsafe and unfair to consumers and patients alike.

Additionally, despite marketing claims, their products are not locally sourced. Invoices and shipping documentation confirm that the business imports bulk “sprayed hemp” from out-of-state vendors—raising serious concerns about chemical content, misrepresentation, and overall public health risks. 

There are also credible reports of:

•Sales to minors and adults under 21
•Failure to verify age or restrict access to a 21+ establishment, including employees
•Assaults and threatening behavior
•Loud, disruptive conduct that regularly disturbs neighboring tenants and businesses
•Exploitation of unhoused individuals in exchange for cannabis
•Persistent child endangerment, with unsupervised minors frequently inside or directly outside the premises

In addition to selling unregulated hemp, this business has also been offering dried Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms—classified as a Schedule I substance under both state and federal law. The owner presents them as legal, but offers no clear explanation or accountability.

This kind of vague, self-justified distribution puts the public at risk and directly undermines serious efforts to legalize and regulate psychedelics in New Mexico. It feeds stigma, confuses the public, and gives lawmakers more reason to delay or reject meaningful reform.

Worse still, the long-term presence of this business has driven out multiple local businesses and residents—including some who no longer feel safe or supported in their own community. The damage is visible downtown and it is accelerating.

The NM State Police reportedly opened an investigation over a year ago—yet no outcome has been shared with the public. Local law enforcement, the Silver City Council, and the NM Cannabis Control Division have all been informed of these ongoing issues repeatedly, yet no meaningful action has been taken.

We are no longer willing to accept inaction. We are calling on state leadership—including the Governor’s Office, the Attorney General, and legislative bodies—as well as members of New Mexico’s media, to step in where local systems have failed. We demand an independent investigation and meaningful consequences for the ongoing harm caused by this business.

This is about safety.

This is about truth in commerce.

This is about protecting the integrity of New Mexico’s regulated cannabis industry—and holding bad actors accountable.

Silver City deserves better. New Mexico deserves better.

This petition is organized by private residents and is not affiliated with the municipal government of Silver City

UPDATE: Out of respect for the active wildfire response in Grant County, we are temporarily pausing active promotion of this petition. While the petition remains open and important, we believe our attention should be focused right now on supporting those affected and honoring the efforts of emergency responders.

To everyone impacted by the Trout Fire, please know our thoughts are with you.

If you or someone you know needs help, the following resources are available:

Shelter for residents: Grant County Convention Center – (575) 538-3785
Shelter for household pets: High Desert Humane Society – (575) 538-1666
Shelter for livestock: Grant County Rodeo Grounds or Grant County Fairgrounds in Cliff, NM

Additional services at the Grant County Convention Center include:

Mental health support
Meal services
Help replacing lost prescriptions
A designated cooling area (available even for those not needing overnight shelter)

We will resume outreach once the emergency has passed. In the meantime, stay safe, Grant County — we’re all in this together.