There’s a scramble now — because, for the eight years of former Gov. Chris Christie’s administration, lobbyists knew certain policies just wouldn’t get past the veto.
Obvious as it may seem, that backstop being gone under Gov. Phil Murphy has made for a busy period, as lobbyists such as Bill Caruso rush to reorient themselves for a different agenda.
But, when it comes to the issue Caruso’s long been an advocate for — cannabis legalization — he’s glad of Trenton’s new reality.
“Christie even told me, but in a very friendly way, we knew each other well: ‘This will never happen, and you know that,’” he said. “He was very clear on that. It wasn’t going to be considered at all.”
Caruso is lobbying for the local push for recreational cannabis and medical marijuana expansion from a couple of different angles. For many years, he has provided lobbying guidance through New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform and the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association, both advocacy organizations he helped jump-start.
What started as a passion project is starting to move into his professional life, too — which, prior to Murphy’s election, Caruso didn’t quite anticipate.
Caruso, of counsel at Archer & Greiner P.C., represents individual clients that have either direct or tangential interests in the cannabis space, such as the large West Coast-based agricultural firm Terra Tech.