New Mexico tribe puts up land for $160M medicinal greenhouse

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — On a patch of tribal land in western New Mexico, a Delaware-based company plans to build a $160 million state-of-the-art greenhouse for researching and growing medicinal plants, including marijuana. Bright Green Group of Companies is partnering with Acoma Pueblo on a project supporters say will net more jobs for rural New Mexico, a state with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Company and tribal officials are meeting at the site Tuesday to mark the start of construction, which is expected to take about two years. The greenhouse and associated research facility will cover nearly 6 million square feet, or about 100 football fields, and the plants will be harvested for their oils. Some say the effort could stir uncertainty over jurisdictional issues and federal controlled substance laws.