The New Mexico city of Albuquerque has been using cannabis revenue to hand out free money to certain allegedly “marginalized” groups.
This started a year ago, when families who qualify as “marginalized” — new mothers, black women, so-called “trans” people — began receiving “monthly no-strings-attached payments,” according to Business Insider.
They started receiving payment as per a $4.02 million guaranteed basic income (GBI) plan funded in part by the sale of marijuana.
To be exact, 80 families who live “in two districts where students struggle with low academic performance” began receiving $750 monthly payments, in addition to financial counseling.
Albuquerque, NM, has launched a basic income program funded by tax revenue from recreational weed sales.
Starting this month, 80 low-income families in underserved neighborhoods are receiving $750 per month for a year, with no restrictions on how the money is spent.
The $2.1M… pic.twitter.com/Xz37kkHkp3
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) May 22, 2025
As noted earlier, the program is specifically targeted toward the allegedly “marginalized.” The city touted in a press release last year how the program would allegedly help close the wealth gap by giving money to those “negatively impacted by the criminalization of cannabis.”
“This program puts money where it’s needed most, into the hands of struggling families working to build a better future,” Mayor Tim Keller said in a statement at the time. “Albuquerque is a city that will always fight to correct injustices and will push to help families get the tools they need to succeed with dignity.”
A year later, Keller now claims the program has been a huge success. In addition, during a recent press conference, he defended the program’s “no strings attached” rules that allow participants to use the money they receive to purchase anything they want, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
“Instead of telling you what you have to do with funding that we would give you, or requiring all sorts of strings to make sure that you’re the right person, we’re just going to say, ‘Look, here’s a little bit of support, you decide what to do with it, because you know best,'” he said. “It sounds so simple and that is what’s so powerful about this program.”
📈 May was a month of momentum.
In May, we expanded housing opportunities, checked in on the positive impact of our Guaranteed Basic Income program, and finalized a budget that invests in Albuquerque’s future. pic.twitter.com/y7jJkTCXMh
— Mayor Tim Keller (@MayorKeller) June 3, 2026
City Councilor Nichole Rogers reportedly got emotional during the presser as she talked about the people it’s helped.
“This is exactly the work that government should be doing to stabilize families in our neighborhoods. Period,” she said, calling the program heroic.
“We’re so busy working two and three jobs and trying to help with homework and run a household that we can’t stop for a minute to just even breathe to dream. This is allowing families to dream again,” she added.
During the presser, officials released the results of a voluntary survey showing that all program recipients are faring quite well.
“[T]he families reported an increased savings of 26% and 42% and said they were no longer facing food insecurity, while 53% relied less on others for financial help in an emergency,” according to the Journal.
And additional families celebrated their improved credit scores. Three families even moved into actual homes (versus renting) thanks to the program.
“We’re really surprised and encouraged by what we’re seeing,” Rada Moss, the manager of the so-called Office of Financial Empowerment, said during the presser. “We didn’t expect people to buy homes in the first year, and so that’s encouraging for us, and we can learn from that and build upon that.”
The “bad news” is that some participants were set to stop receiving payments soon. Rogers has proposed a $1.2 amendment to the city budget so that these families may remain on the program.
The amendment is opposed by councilors Dan Champine, Renée Grout, Dan Lewis, and Brook Bassan.
“I mean, I don’t agree with collecting taxes (from) drug money, number one,” Lewis told the Journal. “Number two, I don’t agree with handing out cash with no strings attached.”
Most sane people don’t agree with that either …
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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