The bill, proposed by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, calls for a much more open market than first envisioned by proponents, with some 400 marijuana dispensaries and a lower tax rate on legal weed.
The Senate and Assembly are expected to try and find common ground between Gusciora's bill and the one proposed by Sen. Nick Scutari, D-Union, which took a more conservative approach to the state's nascent legalization movement.
People overwhelmingly want marijuana to be legal in the Garden State, a new poll finds.
New Jersey voters support ending cannabis prohibition by a margin of 59 percent to 37 percent in Quinnipiac University survey released Tuesday.
The poll also found that voters tend to think alcohol is more harmful than cannabis.
Only 10 percent said marijuana is the more dangerous substance, while 39 percent said it is less harmful than alcohol. Another 48 percent said the two are equally dangerous.
In a speech the governor delivered on Tuesday (March 13), in which he announced his new budget, Murphy said he calculated the numbers based on the assumption that cannabis will be legalized.
“According to research, New Jersey spends upwards of $140 million per year adjudicating low-level marijuana possession offenses,” Murphy said. “And, marijuana-related arrest rates are tilted three-to-one against African-Americans, even though rates of marijuana use are similar among races.”
Murphy's move could focus the minds of lawmakers, who currently are considering more than a dozen marijuana-related bills, including three that would allow sales and possession of the drug, one that would reduce possession of small amounts to a civil offense like a parking ticket, and others that would expand medical access. The mishmash of bills— and Murphy's own reluctance to spell out details— has created a bureaucratic logjam around marijuana.
“Going green” could be taking on a new meaning in two casino towns, both of which are of great interest for Frank Gilliam: Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
Gilliam, Atlantic City’s mayor, has been one of the strongest proponents of legalizing marijuana in New Jersey. He has said doing so would boost local economies and increase tourism, especially along the Boardwalk.
Hugh Giordano, a representative of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 152, told council that the cannabis industry means good jobs, and Lefty Grimes, a resident of East Hanover, described the drug as important medicine that can save lives.
Grimes said they were at the meeting as part of a coordinated campaign to advocate for marijuana in towns.
Gusciora's legislation falls on the other side of the spectrum. The bill calls for as many as 400 retail marijuana dispensaries, 10 in each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts, with a minimum of two dispensaries in each.
There would be a limit of 11 dispensaries per legislative district, including one medical marijuana facility. If marijuana is legalized, it's likely that the cap on dispensaries will fall somewhere in the middle of the two bills.
Governor Murphy campaigned heavily on a pledge to legalize marijuana and today’s address makes clear he continues to push forward on his promise. Recently, some legalization opponents have begun to push for a watered down version of decriminalization as a way to derail the fight for full legalization and regulation. Governor Murphy was having none of it.
Murphy wants to raise the sales tax from 6.625 percent to 7 percent and include ride-sharing services and accommodations like Airbnb.
Under his budget plan, incomes over $1 million would be taxed at 10.75 percent, up from the top bracket of 8.97 percent.
His proposed spending plan of $37.4 billion is roughly 5 percent higher than former Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s final-year proposal.
It was full speed ahead on marijuana legalization when Governor Phil Murphy was elected this past fall. He said he wanted to see legislation in 100 days after taking office and legalization looked like it was on a fast track. The brakes have since been tapped and the momentum may have stalled. Still, some New Jersey residents are taking this time to prepare themselves because they believe legalization will eventually happen. What form has yet to be determined.