On Election Day, more than two thirds of voters in the state approved a constitutional amendment that legalized cannabis for adults 21 and over in the state.
However, Public Question No. 1 did not establish key rules like possession limits, and did not specify who would be allowed to cultivate and sell commercial cannabis in stores—or how citizens were supposed to access cannabis, at all.
On Monday, so-called “enabling legislation” to do all that passed a state Senate committee.
A full floor vote is expected as soon as this week—and must pass in order for cannabis possession to become legal by January 1, the day Question No. 1 is supposed to take effect.
But what’s notable about the bill, S21, sponsored by state Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney and Sen. Nicholas P. Scutari, is what’s not in it.
What they do know is that S21 does not allow for New Jersey residents to cultivate cannabis at home. The only legal cannabis in the state will be cannabis grown at a state-licensed cultivation facility.
That also means that “legalization” will mean stiff criminal penalties for home cannabis growers, a development that angers and frustrates cannabis advocates—who nonetheless are supporting the bill.