State legislative leaders on Monday brushed aside a previous plan to vote on legalizing recreational pot in New Jersey by Oct. 29.
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin called marijuana legalization a “seismic” shift in public policy and not a thing that can be rushed. Complicating the issue further, Coughlin said, is that legalization would create a whole new industry in the state.
Making pot legal was a campaign promise of Gov. Phil Murphy.
There won’t be a vote to authorize adult-use recreational marijuana in the New Jersey legislature on Oct. 29.
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney admitted he didn’t the votes during a press conference on an unrelated topic Monday.
“The administration has got to be a part of this. This is a big lift,” said Sweeney. “I need help. I need to get to 21.”
Twenty-one is the number of votes needed to pass a bill in the Senate; 41 votes are needed in the Assembly.
Democratic Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said Oct. 22, 2018, at an unrelated news conference in the Statehouse that he does not anticipate a vote on Oct. 29, 2018.
Senate President Steve Sweeney says he thinks the legislation would come for a vote “this year,” but didn’t specify when.
Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey lawmakers finally had a date in mind for passing what could be the biggest legislation in years: marijuana legalization. But will it happen?
Lawmakers are starting to hedge their bets a little now that investigations into an alleged sex assault committed by a former Murphy staffer have been launched.
Lawmakers privately told nj.com they believe it's possible the work required to launch the investigations could push back the marijuana bill, which they planned to vote on by Oct. 29.