The Cannabis Regulatory Commission will hold its first meeting April 12, marking the official launch of a powerful state agency that will be tasked with rulemaking and licensing for New Jersey’s adult use industry.
Gov. Phil Murphy filed the appointments of all five members on Wednesday, according to a release put out by the administration Thursday morning.
“This will be the first meeting of many as we put the values of equity and safety into practice in regulating this new industry,” CRC Chair Dianna Houenou said in a statement.
Dianna Houenou has a vision for New Jersey’s forthcoming cannabis industry.
Houenou, a senior policy advisor and associate counsel for Governor Phil Murphy, is the incoming chair of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission. She foresees an industry “that embodies both equity and integrity.” Further, she says, “I hope to instill in the commission a culture of doing work through an equity lens and encouraging social responsibility among business owners and operators. ”
Possession Of Up To Six Ounces Now Legal
This April 20, stoners across New Jersey will rejoice as they pull out their lighters and prepare to spend an ungodly amount of money on snacks in the middle of the night. After years of apprehension, marijuana was legalized in New Jersey by Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.), opening the door to the recreational usage of the substance to all over 21.
This landmark decision was celebrated not only due to the many highs it sparked but also because it marked the end to at least one segment of the war on drugs.
New Jersey is moving closer to opening its recreational marijuana market with plans slated for the first public meeting with the state’s new cannabis commission, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday.
The commission must establish regulations for the new recreational marijuana marketplace that voters ratified in an overwhelming vote in November. Murphy, a Democrat, said in February he thinks the market could be up and running in about six months.
Gopal is not sure why home grown was not part of the legalization but given the overwhelming support the question received he believes it needs to be included.
"Homegrown is true legalization. That's what the people of New Jersey voted on. To legalize this, to move on from this topic and we can focus our criminal justice tax dollars on violent criminals and not non-violent offenders," Gopal said. "It's obviously also important for medical patients who can't travel, giving residents of New Jersey that choice."
New Jersey medical marijuana patients are plagued with long lines, supply shortages and amongst the highest cost in the nation for medical cannabis. The reason? The number of registered medical marijuana patients has grown by tens of thousands since Governor Murphy took office, but the state has issued only a handful of medical cannabis permits since then. In fact, today there are just 14 medical marijuana dispensaries to serve over 110,000 registered patients. The math simply doesn't work, and patients are needlessly suffering.
The department posted a statement to Facebook Friday afternoon, urging additional changes to the law Murphy signed Feb. 22 legalizing adult recreational use of marijuana.
"The bill that just got signed into law about parental notification doesn't go far enough in fixing the language," the police department's post said. "The existing legislation still threatens serious sanctions on officers who approach minors observed using marijuana and alcohol when that observation is based on odor."
The legislative clean up continues on legal marijuana. Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill tweaking the measure so police are required to notify parents when their teens are caught with alcohol or weed. Families and law enforcement were outraged over the initial rule preventing their involvement for those under the age of 18.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill into law on Friday that requires police to tell parents when their kids have marijuana in New Jersey.
The bill, A-5472, "requires law enforcement to provide written notification to a parent or guardian of anyone under age 18 who commits first offense of unlawfully possessing or consuming an alcoholic beverage, cannabis, marijuana, or hashish."
Murphy hinted that the change could be coming earlier this month.