While the legislative push to legalize weed may be dead, the effort to expand the New Jersey medical marijuana program and overhaul the expungement process could soon be headed to a floor vote.
The Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act received unanimous approval from the Senate Health committee on Monday, the first vote since last week's announcement that marijuana legalization would head to the ballot instead of the Senate floor.
If signed into law, the bill would allow patients to purchase up to 3 ounces of cannabis per month — up from 2 ounces — and legalize edible forms of medical marijuana. The sales tax on medical marijuana purchases would be phased out by 2025.
“While the bill’s not perfect … this is still light years ahead of our present program, and it’s at a time when it’s exactly appropriate,” said bill sponsor Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth.
The medical marijuana expansion bill is due for a vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee Monday afternoon. The full Senate and Assembly are expected to vote on the legislation Thursday.