Gov. Philip D. Murphy and Democratic legislative leaders in New Jersey have reached an agreement that could place the state on a path to legalizing recreational marijuana this year if they are able to win enough support in the state legislature.
The agreement, which establishes how marijuana would be taxed and sets parameters on a committee to regulate the drug, marks a significant step forward for Mr. Murphy’s promise to introduce the roughly $50 billion national recreational cannabis market to a major population center on the East Coast and on New York City’s doorstep.
But you may want to wait before you go out and buy that vape pen or box of EZ Wider papers. Holdouts, led by Newark’s Sen. Ron Rice, say legal weed will be a death knell to communities of color where drugs and crime have made economic development impossible.
“I’m still a no. Every day there is new information about why we shouldn’t do this,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “This is about money, it’s not about social justice. Why should we pass something that makes money for investors on the backs of black and brown people?”
Social justice is the primary reason Governor Phil Murphy and a host of politicians have pushed for legalization of cannabis in New Jersey.
Among the many effects of the War on Drugs – especially marijuana – has been the negative impact on communities of color from arrest rates to incarceration and now to the great difficulty in entering legal markets from the ownership side.
While the parties are closer than ever to a deal on legalization of cannabis, it’s unlikely all the details – and ayes – will be nailed down for a vote on Feb. 21.
Governor Phil Murphy, State Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin have reportedly reached agreement on two major issues that have held up passage of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act (S2703), the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act (S10) and s3205, which revises certain procedures for expungement of records of conviction.
It’s expected that New Jersey cannabis legalization will happen this year and the state's pot-friendly governor is eager to get the ball rolling. Gov. Phil Murphy says that legalizing marijuana will help to right the wrongs done by the war on drugs and allow law enforcement to focus on serious and violent crimes.
Reports from multiple outlets this weekend indicate New Jersey legislators hope to vote on a proposal by the end of this month that would make marijuana legal for adult use.
Gov. Phil Murphy has long wanted marijuana to be legal, and campaigned on the issue in 2017. Murphy said during his State of the State address in January it’s something he hopes to accomplish.
New Jersey is poised to legalize adult-use marijuana within weeks, after Gov. Phil Murphy and state legislative leaders reportedly reached a tentative agreement on how to regulate and tax the program.
Murphy and state Senate President Steve Sweeney, both Democrats, had been deadlocked on a tax rate, with Murphy favoring a high retail sales rate.
The agreement reportedly calls for a sales tax based on weight or quantity, such as per ounce of marijuana sold.
A Monmouth University poll finds more than 6 in 10 New Jersey residents support legalizing marijuana and half say a current proposal to make it happen is a good idea. This as legislators say they are closer to an agreement.
Pot? Or not?
The stalemate between Gov. Phil Murphy and other state leaders over marijuana appears to have been broken. The primary sponsor of the bill to legalize says they have reached a deal on how to tax and regulate the drug, CBS2’s Meg Baker reported Monday.
The Monmouth University Poll finds more than 6-in-10 New Jersey residents support legalizing marijuana and half say a current proposal to make that happen in the Garden State is a good idea. The number of people who say that legalization will help the state’s economy and lead to a decrease in other drug crimes has ticked up over the past year. Three-quarters of the public also support the opportunity for those with past possession convictions to expunge their records.
Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney appear to have a deal on the legalization of marijuana, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations.
The agreement between the governor and the senate leader will still need the approval of the Legislature.