New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s latest plan to legalize recreational marijuana has until May to pass the legislature. If it doesn’t pass, Murphy will focus on expanding medical marijuana.
In an exclusive interview with Yahoo Finance, the governor said members of his administration are working with lawmakers to tweak the legislation that would legalize recreational weed, which up until now appeared dead. Expanding access to marijuana was one of Murphy’s 2017 gubernatorial campaign promises.
“We have a good working relationship with the legislative leadership and our teams are still coordinating how we can deal with this,” said Murphy, adding that what he hears from his team looks good. Murphy said the legislation must include provisions to erase previous convictions, end parole, and release people convicted of minor marijuana offenses from jail. But if it fails, Murphy vows to instead expand the states medicinal pot program.
“We would have to because I have no choice,” he said. “Our medical marijuana regime is exploding.”