NJ Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Little Silver, Monmouth) wants voters to decide if should legalize recreational cannabis. If a bill recreational cannbis comes up, in lame-duck, O’Scanlon’s a NO vote.
“There’s legitimate value to be gained by waiting,” Sen O’Scanlon told InsiderNJ. “We’ll have a lot more info from other states and that’ll make a compelling (referendum) debate in November of 2020.”
To get a referendum on the ballot in NJ, the legislature has to vote on it. If there’s a supermajority, the question goes straight to the ballot. Otherwise the measure must pass with a majority twice and in consecutive sessions. To meet O’Scanlon’s Nov 2020 timetable, this would need to happen ASAP during the nascent lame-duck session.
Ok so what about the 30,000 cannabis arrests in NJ every year?
“We need to move forward with decriminalization immediately,” O’Scanlon told InsiderNJ. “Expungements would need to be part of of the discussion.”
His message for legalization purists?
“The voters aren’t there,” he told InsiderNJ. “We haven’t even seen a draft of the bill!”