“These amendments can take it to the next level,” Holley said, adding that his changes could be plugged right into Scutari’s bill. Holley thinks these changes will win enough votes to pass recreational marijuana in New Jersey.
Here are the biggest changes Holley proposed:
No limits on dispensaries
Scutari’s bill capped the number of dispensaries at 218 -- 98 medical marijuana dispensaries and 120 recreational shops. Holley’s plan wouldn’t set a cap at all, allowing state regulators to determine how many marijuana retail locations there would be based on the demand.
Easier to clear criminal records
If marijuana were to become legal in New Jersey, people with low-level marijuana possession convictions would be eligible to have those charges cleared from their records. But Holley wants to make it easier for people.
Borrowing from a plan proposed by Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, D-Union, Holley is calling for expedited expungements and a program to help people get their records cleared.
Previous legalization bills have only said that people would be eligible to apply to have their convictions cleared.