On Thursday, New Jersey legislators in the state Senate and Assembly both passed landmark legislation approving recreational adult-use cannabis, eliminating criminal and civil penalties for possession of up to six ounces of marijuana, and downgrading the penalty for sale of up to one ounce of the drug to a warning for first offenders and fourth-degree (disorderly persons) charges for subsequent offenses.
The vote comes a little more than a month after New Jersey voters overwhelmingly approved the modification of the state constitution to decriminalize the drug, and years after legislative talks on the issue, one of Governor Phil Murphy’s signature campaign planks, had broken down.
It will still take months before the structures establishing the state cannabis industry are solidified; however, local leaders are already considering the potential for economic growth in their communities, as well as the careful work that goes into establishing the right fits for such businesses there.
Such discussions were top-of-mind last March, when the county held a cannabis forum in Somerdale, but they are rounding more sharply into focus in the wake of the ballot initiative and today’s vote.
Haddonfield Mayor Neal Rochford said that his chief concerns about recreational cannabis include drivers who may operate vehicles under the influence and keeping products out of the hands of young residents.
“From a public safety point of view, there’s been concerns amongst the mayors in Camden County about how to protect people from weed and driving,” Rochford said.