Now, the DPA-led New Solutions Campaign, a broad coalition of New Jersey-based advocacy groups, is on the brink of helping enact a new law that would allow broad legal cannabis sales in the state.
The New Jersey coalition has focused on civil rights and an equitable approach to the cannabis industry. The political wind is at their back: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ran on legalizing cannabis during his 2017 campaign, framing it as a Civil Rights-era wrong.
That is the crux of the DPA’s long-held argument — that cannabis is a civil rights issue. And it’s why she believes her and the coalition’s advocacy on these issues have a good chance of shaping the new draft cannabis legalization bill.
“I definitely think at this point, it’s not if legalization is going to happen or even when, but more a matter of how it’s going to roll out,” Glaser told Cannabis Wire.
Cannabis industry groups also have a significant presence in the state Capitol in hopes of shaping the final legislation, including the NJ Cannabusiness Association, the NJ Cannabis Industry Association and the NJ Marijuana Retailers Association.