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DAILY DIGITAL EDITION | THURSDAY | MARCH 25th
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This morning we start with two stories from Indian Country.

The first: The most recent chapter in the fight over if and how to allow existing oil and gas leases to be developed on federal land near Chaco Canyon started under the Trump administration but the Biden administration gets the final word.

One of Secretary Deb Haaland’s first big tests will be how she manages that decision which is rapidly approaching her inbox. Biden’s executive order freezing new oil and gas leases makes existing ones on federal land even more important to our energy future and economy, say oil and gas interests. Native communities living with the wells see it differently. One option: make the ban on oil and gas development near Chaco permanent and likely enter into years of litigation with lease holders. Another: send the whole process back for real input from tribal communities. What would you do? Read this excellent piece from our partners at Capital & Main and tell us online.

The second: In our own reporting and in partnership with Searchlight New Mexico we’ve brought you the story of Dineh Benally‘s quest(s) to start a Native-owned legal marijuana business. The problem: cannabis is not legal on Native land and the migrant Asian workforce he used raised humanitarian and labor issues. While Federal and Navajo officials press forward on a criminal case there, he has now popped up trying to start a new operation with other tribal partners. This chapter of this saga is just as interesting as the first.

Busted By Navajos, Native Pot Grow Seeks New Tribal Partners

By Ed Williams, Wufei Yu, Searchlight New Mexico

HEADLINES

More Counties Get the Green Light, BernCo Stays Put

By Tierna Unruh-Enos

March 25, 2021

The New Mexico Department of Health announced some good news on Wednesday that all 33 […]

VP Harris Takes Charge of Border Migration Challenge

By JONATHAN LEMIRE, NOMAAN MERCHANT, LISA MASCARO and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press. WASHINGTON (AP) — […]

COVID-19

1 Report, 4 Theories: Scientists Mull Clues on Virus’ Origin

Scientists prepare a report on the origin of the virus — and one theory stands out.

State Loosens Rules on Nursing Home Visitation

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is preparing to relax restrictions on visits to nursing homes […]

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Cannabis

Presented by Ultra Health

Biden DOJ Pick Flips On Drugs

By Josh Lee

Last week Vanita Gupta shoved a spike into the heart of every drug reform advocate […]

Legalization Drags

By Josh Lee

Last week, as the 60-day legislative session neared a close, legislators decided to postpone a […]

Does Cannabis Hold the Cure For Cancer?

By Josh Lee

Even many ardent cannabis advocates are uncomfortable supporting what might be unsubstantiated claims that cannabis […]

How to Build a Hemp House

By Gwynne Ann Unruh

In a case of mistaken identity, industrial hemp was found guilty by association with its […]

This story is a staff report from The Paper.