Police officers and municipal prosecutors must halt arrests and drop charges in low-level marijuana possession cases now rendered legal by New Jersey's marijuana legalization laws, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal directed Tuesday.
The move is the most immediate, wide-ranging impact of the legal weed bills signed into law Monday by Gov. Phil Murphy, who hailed them as the end to "New Jersey's broken, indefensible marijuana laws."
But after years of failed legislative efforts to approve the use of recreational marijuana, Monday’s move came as a long-awaited win for supporters, including Mr. Murphy, who had long pushed for the inclusion of measures to address the disproportionate number of marijuana arrests in communities of color.
The laws signed Monday allow the possession and use of marijuana by anyone over 21 years old within the state of New Jersey. They can have up to 6 ounces of weed on them without facing any penalty.
The laws also allow the purchase and sale of legal weed at state-licensed dispensaries, though it could be well over a year before recreational sales even began.
Murphy came into office in 2018 after campaigning to legalize marijuana. But the idea faced a rocky path to fruition as the state’s lawmakers debated whether and how to implement legalization. Ultimately, lawmakers put the issue in front of voters last November — and the ballot initiative won overwhelmingly, with 67 percent support. Even then, legalization efforts stalled as Murphy and legislators debated penalties for those under 21 years old.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday finally signed a law to implement a projected $1 billion recreational marijuana market, hours after lawmakers agreed on a “clean-up measure” that had held up the process for months.
Adult-use Sales could begin before year-end.
New Jersey is poised to become the largest marijuana market on the East Coast – unless and until New York legalizes adult use.
The compromise bill on its way to the governor’s desk makes it so youth would be subject to a written warning if they’re caught with cannabis. lawmakers feel this should satisfy Murphy and motivate him to sign the implementation bill, as well as a separate piece of legislation concerning the decriminalization of possession, which could take place as early as Monday.
Legal weed could be just hours away after legislators on Monday passed a much-debated bill that virtually decriminalizes underage marijuana and alcohol use.
The state Senate on Monday morning approved a bill dictating the penalties for underage marijuana and alcohol use, a “clean-up” bill seen as the last step before Gov. Phil Murphy will sign into law a bill package legalizing weed.
The Senate passed the bill with a 22 to 12 vote. The Assembly is expected to pass the bill within the hour.
Voters approved legal recreational marijuana in the November election, but lawmakers and Gov. Phil Murphy have yet to reach a compromise on bills that would set up the new market and revise penalties for underage possession.
Although both houses of the legislature approved “enabling legislation” in December, and a decriminalization bill sits on Murphy’s desk, the first-term Democrat hasn’t signed either one.
It’s been a rocky road to implementing marijuana regulations in New Jersey since voters approved a legalization referendum in November. But on Friday, a key Senate committee advanced a “clean up” bill designed to satisfy requests from Gov. Phil Murphy (D).
The legislature has already sent enabling legislation to the governor’s desk, but he’s yet to take action on it because he’s pushing for the inclusion of cannabis-related penalties for underage people. A newly revised bill to address the issue cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee in a 6-2 vote, with one abstention.
Update: After this story was published, the Assembly cancelled its Friday voting session and five committee meetings slated for the same day.
Lawmakers in the Senate reversed course Thursday after abandoning an effort to pass a marijuana cleanup bill they hope will convince Gov. Phil Murphy to sign legalization and decriminalization bills on his desk a day earlier, and Assembly leaders are discussing delaying proceedings set for Friday to provide more time for negotiations, the New Jersey Globe has learned.