The acting director for the Cannabis Control Division and director for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division is out.
Andrew Vallejos sent his resignation letter to Teresa Casados, chief operating officer for the Governor’s Office, on Tuesday. His last day with the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department is March 31.
The Journal confirmed Vallejos’ impending departure with RLD spokeswoman Bernice Geiger Wednesday. Vallejos wasn’t able to be reached for comment.
“We thank Director Vallejos for his service and commitment to the Regulation and Licensing Department and to the State of New Mexico,” Geiger said in a prepared statement. “We wish him success in his future endeavors.”
RLD Superintendent Linda Trujillo will take over as interim director of CCD and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division – a position Vallejos held since March 2019 – until new directors are named, Geiger said.
Vallejos first took over as acting CCD director in August, following Carolina Barrera’s short tenure. Barrera, CCD’s deputy director, took over last June following the departure of Kristen Thomson, the first CCD director in the state.
Thomson, a former cannabis lobbyist in Colorado, resigned less than a year into the job as the division director. She later joined Pat Davis’ Weeds. Cannabis Consulting firm before starting her own firm at the end of the year.
The news of Vallejos’ departure comes as the state nears one full year of recreational cannabis sales. To date, the state’s cannabis businesses have sold roughly $268.3 million in marijuana products.
Vallejos’ short stint leading the cannabis division earned him praise from industry experts, including from the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce.
“Under Vallejos’ leadership, the (Cannabis) Control Division was at its highest functioning, when we needed it most,” the organization said on Twitter. “He listened to industry input and successfully brokered ideas with elected officials.”
