On the statewide scene, cannabis advocates had New York and New Jersey pegged as the great green hope. Both states were expected to become the next to legalize marijuana for recreational use. It was a step that would have shown the country, specifically the goons in Congress, just how far the U.S. has progressed from the times when weed was considered mostly taboo. However, all hope of this happening has gone to the proverbial crap shack, according to the New York Times. Both jurisdictions have essentially thrown in the towel on the prospect of legal weed.
New Jersey has been trying to hash out its plan to establish a taxed and regulated cannabis market ever since Governor Philip Murphy took office. The state was supposed to have something on the books by April 2018. But lawmakers just never seemed to agree on how legal weed should take shape. There were problems with tax structure, social justice issues– all of it contributing to one big cluster muck that sabotaged it all together. Senate President Stephen Sweeney said this week that he was pulling the plug on the concept of legalizing the leaf through the Legislature. He wants to, instead, let the voters decide in 2020 if this is something they want.