Sen. Nicholas Scutari

A 9am Judiciary Committee Hearing on the state of cannabis in NJ drew hoards of spectators on a chilly rainy summer day. But things heated up quickly once the cannabis debate began. Here are some nuggets from today’s hearing

Knives Out

Trenton – The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Friday to discuss issues related to the state’s implementation of the recreational cannabis law, Senator Brian Stack and Senate President Nick Scutari announced today.

The hearing will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, June 23, 2023 in Committee Room 4 of the State House Annex.

“The market is developing, and we don’t want to hinder that. The New Jersey canopy is currently only 418,000 square feet—far below the average of other states with legal cannabis,” said Commissioner Maria Del Cid-Kosso. “New Jersey currently has only one cultivation license for every 197,000 residents. The national average is one license for every 31,000 residents. We have a lot of room to grow. We expect that lifting the cap will open the space for more cultivators, ultimately resulting in more favorable pricing and better access for patients and other consumers.”

The governor of New Jersey would be authorized to enter into agreements for interstate marijuana commerce with other states that have legalized cannabis under a new bill filed by Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D).

However, the agreements could only be forged if federal law changes, or if the Justice Department issues guidance permitting such activity.

The leader of the New Jersey Senate filed a bill on Thursday that would legalize the possession, home cultivation and gifting of psilocybin mushrooms for adults 21 and older—with provisions that give adults even more freedoms for the psychedelic than are afforded under the state’s current marijuana laws.

The legislation from Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D), who has long championed cannabis reform in the Garden State, would further create a system of licensed businesses to provide psilocybin services in supervised settings.

3. New Jersey must legalize home cultivation

The Garden State is the one of only 2 adult-use states that doesn’t allow individuals to grow their own cannabis. And lawmakers aren’t just bringing shame to their state’s nickname with that choice. They’re also hurting medical patients and responsible adults who already voted in droves for legal weed.

Nick Scutari helped get legalization passed in New Jersey. But he’s also one of the biggest opponents blocking home cultivation. Scutari claims that law enforcement said homegrows feed illicit markets in states like Colorado.

Jeff Brown, the CRC’s executive director, testified for nearly two hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate President Nick Scutari — the chief architect of legal cannabis efforts in the state. While Brown was joined by other top members of his staff, CRC commissioners were absent from the hearing. Chair Dianna Houenou had planned to attend but was “under the weather,” Brown said.

And in front of Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D) and the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, industry leaders and marijuana advocates discussed the pace of setting up the Garden State’s recreational market, scrutinized pricing issues and griped over still-unwritten regulations for employers seeking clarity on when they can and can’t discipline employees who use cannabis.

More than 12,000 recreational cannabis customers bought products on April 21, the first day of legal sales in New Jersey. They spent just shy of $2 million, according to the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission. But several mayors and lawmakers are getting behind an effort to bar cannabis use for off-duty police officers.

STILL ILLEGAL: And you still can’t grow your own cannabis.

New Jersey is the only state that doesn’t even allow its medical marijuana patients to grow cannabis at home. And when it comes to recreational customers, we’re joined by Washington.

Growing even one marijuana plant is still a third-degree crime, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $25,000 fine. It’s just as illegal today as it was on Feb. 21, 2021, before weed was legalized in New Jersey.