This is educational content, not medical or legal advice. Cannabis affects people differently, and state rules change. If you have questions about cannabis and your health, talk to a licensed healthcare provider.
What does full-spectrum cannabis mean?
Most cannabis products fall into one of two broad categories: full-spectrum or distillate.
Distillate is cannabis oil that has been refined down to a single cannabinoid, usually THC, at very high purity. The terpenes, minor cannabinoids, and other plant compounds are stripped out during processing. Distillate is consistent and cheap to produce, which is why it’s the base for most gummies, vape cartridges, and edibles on the market. Many of those products have flavoring or lab-made terpenes added back in afterward.
Full-spectrum cannabis is the opposite approach. The oil is extracted from the whole plant and left largely as it comes out, so it keeps the plant’s natural cannabinoid and terpene profile intact. That includes THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, and the dozens of minor cannabinoids and terpenes that give each strain its character.
The significance of this is in the entourage effect. It’s the idea that cannabinoids and terpenes work differently together than they do in isolation. The research is still developing, but many long-term cannabis users, including many of the budtenders we work with, report that full-spectrum products feel more complete and more strain-true than distillate products at the same THC number.
What is RSO?
RSO stands for Rick Simpson Oil. It’s a specific type of full-spectrum extract, named after the Canadian who popularized it in the early 2000s. RSO is made by soaking cannabis flower in a solvent, most often food-grade ethanol, then evaporating the solvent off. What’s left is a thick, dark, whole-plant oil that keeps the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of the flower it came from.
Traditional RSO comes in a syringe and is taken orally or applied topically. It’s potent, it’s not particularly pleasant to taste, and dosing by eye from a syringe takes some practice. That’s why we built our product line the way we did. Our tablets contain the same full-spectrum RSO, pressed into a swallowable dose. Each tablet is strain-specific, so a Blue Dream tablet is made from Blue Dream flower, not from a generic oil with Blue Dream terpenes added later. Tablets can be split for smaller doses. They’re sugar-free, and because they’re swallowed rather than vaped or smoked, the effects come on more slowly and last longer, typically several hours.
That duration matters when you’re deciding whether to take one. RSO taken orally is not a quick-onset product. It can take an hour or more to feel, and we always suggest starting with a low dose and waiting before taking more.
Is RSO legal in New Mexico?
Yes. RSO is legal in New Mexico when it’s produced by a licensed manufacturer and sold through a licensed dispensary.
New Mexico’s legal framework covers cannabis in all its forms. The Cannabis Regulation Act, signed in April 2021, legalized possession and home cultivation for adults 21 and older beginning June 29, 2021, and licensed adult-use sales began April 1, 2022. Concentrates, extracts, and edibles are all included. RSO in a syringe is regulated as a concentrate. RSO in a tablet is regulated as an edible. Both are legal to buy, possess, and use under state law.
Adults 21 and older can possess up to two ounces of flower, 16 grams of concentrate, and edible products containing up to 800 milligrams of THC outside the home. At home, possession is unlimited as long as the excess is kept in the residence, out of public view. Our tablets are regulated as an edible under the Cannabis Regulation Act, so their THC content is included in the 800 mg-per-transaction edible limit.
Adult-use versus medical in New Mexico
New Mexico is unusual in that it ran a medical program for 15 years before adult-use sales began. The Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act created the medical program in 2007. Adult-use came in 2022. Both markets operate side by side today, and the same dispensaries generally serve both.
Here’s how the two compare.
Adult-use is open to anyone 21 or older with a valid ID. No card, no paperwork. The medical program is open to New Mexico residents 18 and older with a qualifying condition, and minors can participate with a parent or guardian as a caregiver. Out-of-state medical patients can also register as reciprocal participants and buy under their home state’s card.
Qualifying conditions. The state’s medical program currently lists 30 qualifying conditions, including chronic pain, PTSD, cancer, and, since 2023, insomnia. A practitioner licensed in New Mexico to prescribe controlled substances has to certify the patient. Applications go through the Department of Health’s online portal, and resident cards are valid for three years.
Purchase limits. Adult-use customers are limited to two ounces of flower, 16 grams of concentrate, and 800 milligrams of THC in edibles per transaction. Registered patients can purchase up to 425 units in a rolling 90-day period, which works out to roughly 15 ounces of flower or the equivalent in other products.
What this means for RSO buyers in New Mexico
Whether you’re buying adult-use or medical, here’s what to expect from our tablets.
They’re strain-specific and full-spectrum. If you’ve been using distillate edibles and finding them inconsistent or one-dimensional, RSO tablets are a different experience. The effects tend to track the strain on the label.
They’re easy to dose. Each tablet is a fixed amount, and they can be split. If you’re new to oral cannabis or have a low tolerance, start with a half or a quarter tablet and wait at least 90 minutes before deciding whether to take more.
A single tablet typically works for several hours. That makes them a fit for long days, long nights, and situations where you don’t want to re-dose. It also means you should plan for that duration and avoid driving or anything else that requires full attention.
Every batch is tested for potency and contaminants, and results are available on our website.
Where to buy RSO in New Mexico
Emerald Bay Extracts is sold only through licensed dispensaries. Right now you can find our RSO tablets at 30 locations across 13 New Mexico cities:
- Albuquerque (16 locations): Boutique High, ten Oasis Cannabis Co. locations (Coors, Gibson, Juan Tabo, Lomas, Menaul & Pennsylvania, Midtown, Montgomery, Osuna, University, and Unser), Oui’d Cannabis Dispensary, PIMPS Cannabis, PurLife Old Town, The Farm House, and The Green House on Juan Tabo
- Carlsbad (2): Bud Board Dispensary, National Parks Highway and West Pierce Street
- Ruidoso (2): Elevation 6420 and The Greenery Room
- Alamogordo: RoadRunner Cannabis Co
- Alcalde: NM Hy-Lyfe Cannabis Co.
- Aztec: Grady’s Cannabis
- Clovis: Vana Society
- Edgewood: Verve Health Shop & Dispensary
- Farmington: The Loud House
- Gallup: Lava Wellness Dispensary
- Raton: Colfax Cannabis Company
- Santa Fe: Black Powder Dispensary
- Texico: Vana Society
Addresses, hours, phone numbers, and directions for every location are on our store locator at emeraldbayextracts.com/where-to-buy. The list is growing, so check back if your city isn’t on it yet.
If your local dispensary doesn’t carry us, ask for Emerald Bay by name. Retailers hear their customers, and a request at the counter is often how we end up on a new shelf. Dispensaries interested in carrying our products can reach us directly at info@emeraldbayextracts.com.