A week after state lawmakers delayed a vote on expanding medical marijuana in New Jersey over fears that Gov. Phil Murphy would veto the bill, a new plan to grow the program has emerged and legislators are moving quickly.
The state Assembly Appropriations Committee approved the bill Tuesday afternoon by a vote of 9-1 with one abstention. Both legislative houses, the Assembly and Senate, are expected to vote on the bill Thursday and send it to Murphy’s desk.
The legislation was not immediately available from the committee but NJ Advance Media obtained a version of the bill, A20, circulating Tuesday morning among insiders and lawmakers.
Much of the plan sticks to familiar territory — adding medical marijuana providers, creating a Cannabis Regulatory Commission, giving small businesses and minority owners a chance to enter the industry — but there have been a few changes, mainly in response to Murphy’s concerns.