Meanwhile, across the mighty Hudson in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy, who made marijuana legalization a big part of his gubernatorial campaign in 2017 (New Jersey governors are elected in odd numbered years), renewed his call for legalization in his State of the State speech.
“By legalizing adult-use marijuana — first and foremost — we can reverse the inequality and unfairness left from years of failed drug policies and shift public safety resources to where they can do the most good,” he said.
The New Jersey legislature has already held a hearing on recreational marijuana legalization and the main things holding up a bill are differences over taxes between Murphy and State Senator Nicholas Scutari, who is sponsoring the legalization bill in the Senate. Scutari’s bill calls for 12 percent in state taxes, which would be the lowest state tax bite in the country. Murphy wants 25 percent in state taxes. The tax rate New York decides to go with will probably influence the final figure.