Gov. Phil Murphy’s first hundred days in office came and went without legalized marijuana, as he’d promised to get done as a candidate. Now his first budget is approved, still without taxes from legalization.
Top Democrats are now saying it could be approved before Labor Day.
Murphy’s original budget plan in March counted on $60 million from adult-use, recreational marijuana sales starting Jan. 1. But the budget he signed Sunday includes none of that, though there’s still $20 million from sales of medical marijuana.
“It is not, because there’s no bill. So I can’t score anything when there’s not a bill,” Murphy said. “But I think there’s a broad commitment among all of us to try to get that over the goal line sooner than later.”
Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said lawmakers are “rounding the corner on marijuana” and predicts approval by the end of the August.
“I know the speaker and I are committed to getting the marijuana bills done this summer. That’s our goal,” Sweeney said.