It was full speed ahead on marijuana legalization when Governor Phil Murphy was elected this past fall. He said he wanted to see legislation in 100 days after taking office and legalization looked like it was on a fast track. The brakes have since been tapped and the momentum may have stalled. Still, some New Jersey residents are taking this time to prepare themselves because they believe legalization will eventually happen. What form has yet to be determined.
“The governor was very progressive. It was the platform he ran on,” said Ellie Seigel, an attorney and founder of advisory firm Longview Strategic. “Saying it would be out within 100 days, that was ambitious,” she said. Seigel noted that legalization can be an uphill battle on many fronts, even if you have a governor that supports it. Some legislators are trying to keep the momentum going and there are currently ten different bills regarding cannabis for the 2018-19 session. Last week, it was reported by Leaflythat New Jersey’s Assembly Oversight Committee heard from experts on cannabis legalization. A sign that some work is continuing to take place.