For the second time this year, top Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey pulled the plug on legislation to legalize cannabis sales for recreational use, killing any likelihood Gov. Phil Murphy will deliver on a key campaign promise before 2021.
Instead, legislative leaders introduced a resolution Monday that would put a recreational use question on the November 2020 ballot. The resolution would need to pass both houses of the state Legislature by three-fifths majorities in one year or by simple majorities in consecutive years to make it onto the ballot.
Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senator Nicholas Scutari, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following joint statement today announcing the introduction of legislation to seek voter approval of a constitutional amendment to legalize adult use marijuana in New Jersey:
Senate President Steve Sweeney and State Sen. Nicholas Scutari announced they would introduce a bill to put recreational marijuana on the 2020 ballot Monday.
“We are moving forward with a plan to seek voter approval to legalize adult use marijuana in New Jersey,” the two said in a joint statement. “We introduced legislation today to authorize a public referendum for a proposal that will lead to the creation of a system that allows adults to purchase and use marijuana for recreational purposes in a responsible way.”
As state lawmakers begin their final meetings of this year’s legislative session, there was hope the senate might revisit marijuana legalization. State Senate President Steve Sweeney told NJ.com before the Nov. 5 elections that he would try to wrangle enough votes to pass a legal weed bill, but it appears those efforts are already falling short and prospects for a vote before a new legislature is seated in January are dim.
Marijuana legalization
Easily the most controversial matter lawmakers are likely to tackle during the next two months is whether to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use.
Lawmakers in New Jersey will try again to make adult-use cannabis legal in their state, according to a story from NJ.com. The story reports that New Jersey state Senate President Stephen Sweeney says there is a “50/50” possibility it may actually happen this time. He also says he will “put his best effort into it”.
There will be a renewed push in the coming weeks to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey as top lawmakers “start going after votes” again to pass a bill in the state Legislature, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday.
That’s good news for legal pot supporters who faced a setback when lawmakers called off a big vote on the measure in March because there weren’t enough votes to get it passed in the Senate. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, campaigned on the issue and had said he was ready to sign the bill into law.
Despite the previously held belief that adult use recreational marijuana in New Jersey would have to await a ballot referendum in 2020, there is newfound optimism that a vote on legal cannabis may yet take place this year. Certain New Jersey lobbyists and industry leaders believe that the success of medical marijuana in New Jersey may prompt a vote on recreational adult use marijuana.
With most state legislatures adjourned for the 2019 calendar year, the New Jersey legislature is one of just a few legislative bodies that are still in session. With a year-long legislative session, state lawmakers have already debated and passed significant legislation related to the state’s medical marijuana program, solitary confinement and assisted suicide. Unfortunately, an effort to legalize adult-use marijuana stalled in the Senate after members of the House advanced HB 4477 earlier this year.
New Jersey
Last week, Politico reported Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney moved to ban the sale of all vaping products, including marijuana vape products.
That followed New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announcing a task force on vaping that is due to file recommendations in the next three weeks.
“The only safe alternative to smoking is not smoking. Period. Full stop,” Murphy said..