The new legal industry
Possession of six ounces or less of marijuana — and using it on private property — is now decriminalized in New Jersey for people ages 21 and up. That means you can’t be criminally charged for it.
So far though, it still isn’t technically legal to buy or sell recreational marijuana, and won’t be until state officials write regulations and award licenses to the businesses that will make up the new legal market.
Read more about the NJLP's objections below.
Here are the basics about the state's new laws:
Although voters approved a referendum to legalize adult use of cannabis back in November, lawmakers’ efforts to draft the enabling legislation often went up in smoke. Until recently, the governor’s office and legislative leaders couldn’t decide how to address underage possession and use of cannabis. Now, lawmakers agree that minors should be subject to a three-tiered warning system in lieu of hefty fines.
A lot of the people in New Jersey who voted for legal cannabis back in November — about two-thirds of voters — not to mention those who want to get in on the ground floor of the nascent business — are wondering when will the stuff be available?
The cannabis landscape in New Jersey now has completely changed and the Cannabis Legislation presents opportunities for a myriad of businesses to participate in the cannabis industry in New Jersey. This Client Alert focuses on the impact of the Cannabis Legislation on businesses and individuals that seek to enter the new adult-use recreational cannabis market in New Jersey, as well as those that currently operate a medical alternative treatment center (ATC) pursuant to a permit granted under the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program.
The Democrat-led Assembly and Senate passed the last-minute measure Monday to ease penalties on underage possession of both alcohol and marijuana as a way to secure Murphy’s signature on legislation they had sent him in December.
But after years of failed legislative efforts to approve the use of recreational marijuana, Monday’s move came as a long-awaited win for supporters, including Mr. Murphy, who had long pushed for the inclusion of measures to address the disproportionate number of marijuana arrests in communities of color.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday finally signed a law to implement a projected $1 billion recreational marijuana market, hours after lawmakers agreed on a “clean-up measure” that had held up the process for months.
Adult-use Sales could begin before year-end.
New Jersey is poised to become the largest marijuana market on the East Coast – unless and until New York legalizes adult use.
State Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) plans to introduce a technical bill to bring into line language differences between decriminalization and legalization bills on the governor’s desk as a fallback in case lawmakers fail to reach an agreement on a cleanup bill in time for votes in both chambers scheduled for later this week.
New Jerseyans voted overwhelmingly to legalize marijuana in November. But the legislation that would decriminalize marijuana and establish the regulatory structure for the state's marketplace remains unsigned by Governor Phil Murphy