New Jersey took another major step Monday toward legalizing recreational marijuana when Senate and Assembly committees approved an identical measure and sent it to the full Legislature for a vote.
The approvals by the Assembly Appropriations and Senate Judiciary committees set up a floor vote as soon as March 25.
A bill reached a similar stage late last year in New Jersey but stalled mainly over a disagreement between Gov. Phil Murphy and key legislative leaders over how marijuana should be taxed.
Last week, Murphy, a Democrat, and the legislative leaders formally announced an agreement to impose a state excise tax of $42 an ounce on marijuana products.
It’s unclear whether enough support exists in the Democratic-controlled Legislature to pass the latest version.