SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Democrat-backed bill to legalize recreational marijuana businesses in all towns and counties across New Mexico was set to get its first public vetting Tuesday by lawmakers.

A legislative committee will convene in the afternoon on the Senate floor to accommodate crowds amid intense interest in a bill that would subsidize medical marijuana for low-income patients and expunge many past pot convictions.

An initial draft of the bill from Democratic Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino of Albuquerque would also override local governments that don't welcome the industry. The condition is an attempt to stamp out black markets.

Every recreational dispensary would be required to also offer medical marijuana to patients who qualify under a long list of conditions such as cancer, post-traumatic stress and chronic pain. New Mexico founded its medical cannabis program in 2007.

The initiative is being condemned as a threat to workplace and roadway safety by a coalition that includes the local Roman Catholic Church, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Smart Approaches to Marijuana — a nonpartisan group opposed to marijuana legalization.

“With New Mexico routinely ranked near the bottom of the country in terms of education, overall economy, opportunity, drug use, and crime, this is the worst possible option at the worst possible time,” said a statement from Allen Sanchez, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Lincoln County Sheriff Robert Shepperd said the state's law enforcement leaders have concerns over how deputies will spot motorists suspected of driving under the influence of marijuana.

“In order to take a swab of the mouth, we need to get a warrant,” Shepperd said. “How do we do that? There's just a lot of questions. I think we need to slow down and not rush this.”

Authors of the legislation say it responds to concerns about affordability and access to medical marijuana in states including Oregon that have authorized recreational marijuana. No state yet mandates medical cannabis sales at all marijuana shops, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

A bipartisan legalization bill last year that involved state-run cannabis stores won House approval by a two-vote margin before stalling in the Senate, where several moderate Democrats have openly opposed legalization.

Deliberations begin this year in the Senate, where a handful of Republicans have backed past legalization efforts and some Democrats are firmly against it.

This year's initiative hews closely to recommendations of a legalization policy task force assembled by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and led by Albuquerque city councilor Pat Davis.

The bill would reserve tax revenue from marijuana sales for law enforcement agencies and public education efforts to prevent intoxicated driving.

It breaks with task force recommendations by allowing small quantities of home grown marijuana.