Murphy and the governors of several other states in the Northeast have also engaged in a regional dialogue about how to coordinate their cannabis markets after it’s legalized. It’s not clear how New Jersey opting for a referendum process will impact those discussions, however.
Here’s how the marijuana question will appear on the ballot, per the resolution approved by lawmakers:
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA
Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called “cannabis”?
Only adults at least 21 years of age could use cannabis. The State commission created to oversee the State’s medical cannabis program would also oversee the new, personal use cannabis market.
Cannabis products would be subject to the State sales tax. If authorized by the Legislature, a municipality may pass a local ordinance to charge a local tax on cannabis products.
Amending the state constitution through a referendum isn’t quite so simple in New Jersey, either. To effectively make the change, the legislature must approve the proposal with a simple majority in two consecutive years, or once with a three-fifths supermajority, as was the case with Monday’s votes.