Gov. Phil Murphy’s election was the kind of catalyst the cannabis industry was waiting for. In the months since Murphy was sworn in, the industry has spread its wings, hosting symposia around the state and creating trade associations in anticipation of the day when weed would be legal. Seven months later, they’re still waiting.
“There’s very few industries in any sector, very few industries where you can actually start up and create an economic boom right away and cannabis will do that,” said Scott Rudder, president of the NJ Cannabusiness Association.
A former Assemblyman, Rudder has been one of the people on the forefront of trying to get the legislature to move on a legal weed bill, but while his trade group has attracted thousands to informational meetings, he has had to watch as lawmakers and the governor try to get on the same page.