Jersey City is implementing a marijuana decriminalization policy that its mayor and new chief municipal prosecutor believe will increase racial justice while protecting public safety.
The policy, which is expected to begin officially tomorrow, will downgrade some marijuana charges to non-criminal offenses; encourage prosecutors to seek dismissal of low-level marijuana charges; and recommend diverting defendants with a criminal past and signs of addiction to the city's community court.
Many New Jersey cities and towns are not waiting for the state to legalize recreational cannabis before enacting ordinances to regulate it.
In December, Point Pleasant Beach voted to ban sales of both medicinal and recreational marijuana. The Point Pleasant Beach cannabis ordinance prohibits businesses from selling medicinal or recreational marijuana within a quarter-mile of schools, churches, residential areas and marine commercial and general commercial districts. Doing so effectively bans all sales within town limits.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has lifted the haze over whether he’s ever used marijuana, admitting this week to having experimented with the drug “once or twice.”
The 60-year-old Democratic governor is pushing for the legalization of recreational marijuana and was questioned on Wednesday about whether he had ever taken a toke.
He answered by saying, “I’ve never been a marijuana guy,” but didn’t say whether he’d ever tried it.
By changing the ordinance now, the city hopes to allow residents a voice as to the location of marijuana dispensaries in Jersey City. Additionally, the city’s Planning Department has recommended several regulations and zoning changes that can be made to allow possible future dispensaries to operate in a strategic way.
The City Council is expected to delay a final vote on Mayor Steve Fulop's plan to ban recreational marijuana sales citywide.
Fulop, a supporter of legalized marijuana, has said the initial ban would be part of a two-pronged effort to allow the city to decide where marijuana dispensaries should open. But the proposal, which would also prohibit growing and distributing pot, has been met with skepticism from some council members and outright opposition from legalization supporters. The council was scheduled to take a final vote on it Wednesday.
Marijuana legalization has been one of the hottest issues in New Jersey since Phil Murphy took over in Trenton this year. At first he said he'd get it done in 100 days. Last week he walked that back, saying he wanted legalization by the end of the year.