State Sen. Nicholas Scutari said lobbying for a renewed push to legalize recreational marijuana use through legislation hasn’t started in earnest.
“Not really,” Scutari, the legalization bill’s chief Senate sponsor, said when asked about lobbying efforts for another push at recreational cannabis. “We’ve had some initial conversations.
As the New Jersey Legislature closed shop for summer recess, thoughts of what could have been on the marijuana legalization effort that stalled flitted among legislators and lawyers.
Why the weed bill failed this year was baffling. Many considered it a slam dunk in a state with a Democratic-controlled Legislature and a Democratic governor who not only supported the measure but made legalizing adult use of marijuana a centerpiece of his gubernatorial campaign in 2017.
Accordingly, plan B, they have said, is to significantly expand the current medical cannabis system and push through a separate bill (S-3205) for expunging the records of individuals with arrests or convictions for low-level marijuana crimes.
Adult-use marijuana legalization is likely to be voted on by the entire state Legislature as soon as early next week. But since the bill was finalized Monday night, many lawmakers are concerned they haven’t been given enough time to thoroughly digest and assess its major points.
New Jersey state Senator Nicholas Scutari (D-N.J.) says the Garden State will welcome New Yorkers with open arms once it legalizes recreational marijuana ー which could happen very soon.
"All the individuals that are within a stone's throw of New Jersey will be able to come over to New Jersey to buy legal product and consume legal product here, and we welcome them to come over and do that," Scutari said.
Adult-use marijuana will be governed by a Cannabis Regulatory Commission, composed of five members. Three members will be appointed by the Governor, with the Governor’s initial appointments to serve terms of at least four years and not be subject to Senate confirmation. Two other members will be appointed by the Governor, upon the recommendations of the Speaker and Senate President. The Commission will promulgate all regulations to govern the industry and will oversee the applications for licensing of adult-use marijuana dispensaries.
Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, Senator Scutari, and Assemblywoman Quijano today announced an agreement on the broad outlines of legislation to legalize adult-use marijuana in New Jersey.
New Jersey’s governor and legislature agreed to terms earlier this month to allow S830 to move forward, the bill that would legalize marijuana for adults and create a regulated marketplace in the state.
It has been Governor Murphy’s mission since he took office – legalize marijuana like beer and reap the benefits of the tax revenue. It’s a scheme that has been implemented and is working in several other states, including Colorado and California. Yet, when it comes to New Jersey, nobody seems to agree on how marijuana taxes should add up. Murphy says it’s “complicated” because the state has to create “an entire industry from scratch.” It’s a situation that is getting closer to being resolved. He told reporters this week that feels “optimistic” that the deal will get done soon.
Gov. Philip D. Murphy and Democratic legislative leaders in New Jersey have reached an agreement that could place the state on a path to legalizing recreational marijuana this year if they are able to win enough support in the state legislature.
The agreement, which establishes how marijuana would be taxed and sets parameters on a committee to regulate the drug, marks a significant step forward for Mr. Murphy’s promise to introduce the roughly $50 billion national recreational cannabis market to a major population center on the East Coast and on New York City’s doorstep.