Not breaking bad: Albuquerque mayor vetoes marijuana decriminalization bill

Updated



By RYAN GORMAN

Albuquerque's mayor has vetoed a marijuana decriminalization proposition.

Mayor Richard Berry, in an effort to keep his city as far from the fictionalized version in "Breaking Bad" as possible, is not allowing any drugs to be legalized.

He vetoed a proposal scheduled for November that would have made possession of an ounce or less of pot punishable by only a fine of $25.

The city council agreed to put the measure on a November ballot only last week.

"It is disappointing that I have been put into a position to have to veto an entire bill that includes a number of provisions that I support simply because certain members of the City Council voted to include last minute provisions that lack detail and/or circumvent state and federal law,' Berry said in a video statement.

"I cannot in good conscience sign... a bill that flies in the face of state and federal law as it pertains to illegal drugs," he added.

Berry's position flies in the face of popular opinion.

An overwhelming majority of Americans support the legalization of marijuana in one way or another, according to a recent CBS News poll. And multiple cities and states across the country have legalized the plant for medical and even recreational use.

When asked to rank substances most harmful to humans, Americans ranked marijuana behind tobacco (49 percent), alcohol (24 percent) and sugar (15 percent).

The city council can still override the mayor's veto, according to KOB. The vote to put the referendum on the ballot was 5-4 in favor. A 6-3 vote would cancel Berry's veto and send it to the polls.

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