Gov. Phil Murphy has not had any discussions with legislative leaders about pushing through marijuana legalization ahead of a November referendum in order to secure additional revenues in the face of a fiscal downturn over the COVID-19 crisis.
“Marijuana I haven’t really talked about. I wish we already had it, frankly, because it would be a source of revenue, putting aside the social injustices, which would have been addressed,” Murphy said Thursday. “We’re late to it, mostly for social injustices, but could we use the revenue right now? Yes. But I don’t think we’ve had any discussions — I know I haven’t — about moving it forward.”
Earlier this week, Treasurer Elizabeth Muoio froze $920 million of this year’s budget in preparation for revenue declines related to the pandemic expected this quarter.
She said revenue projections for the coming year’s budgets would also have to be reigned in and warned that the budget Murphy introduced in February would need significant revisions.