Sen. Nicholas Scutari
Fate of Medical Marijuana Expansion and Adult-Use Legalization Uncertain in New Jersey
At a time when states in New England and the nearby mid-Atlantic region are sprinting toward various styles of legalization and regulation, New Jersey’s fledgling medical marijuana industry is caught in a predicament.
Will weed be legalized in N.J. this year or what? Here's where we stand.
Some lawmakers and advocates then set their sights on getting recreational marijuana passed by the end of June, when legislators traditionally take a summer break. It’s now looking like that deadline also will come and go.
As June 30 rapidly approaches, with little movement, it's becoming increasingly likely that legal weed will have to wait until later this year. Here's where things stand now.
Dem's Legislature-backed budget: $0 from recreational cannabis
State lawmakers are revising how much the state would earn from the taxation of recreational marijuana in the fiscal 2019 budget – nothing.
They’ve penciled in $60 million in state revenue from taxes on medical marijuana, according to Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-22nd District.
Scutari, who advocated for the recent expansion of the medical marijuana program, said the $0 revenue projected from recreational cannabis simply acknowledges that such uses is currently illegal – regardless of anyone’s future aims.
Weekly Legislative Roundup 6/15/18
Senate President Stephen Sweeney, along with Sen. Nicholas Scutari, introduced legislation, S2703, to legalize adult marijuana sales and further expand New Jersey’s medical marijuana program.
The legislation permits those age 21 and older to legally possess and/or purchase up to one ounce of cannabis. It also permits the licensing of 218 retail dispensaries — 120 of which would provide marijuana to adults while 98 would provide marijuana to authorized patients. At present, one half-a-dozen medical dispensaries are operating in the state.
Legalize weed? For sure. With this bill? No way.
Finally, the Legislature has produced a bill to legalize recreational use of marijuana in New Jersey, a move with solid support from the governor and the public.
Sadly, it is a complete dud, a sloppy piece of work that does almost nothing to repair the damage done by this misguided war on weed, to make amends for the undeniable racial bias of police and courts in the ban's enforcement.
LEGISLATION - NJ Senate Bill 2703 - New Jersey Marijuana Legalization Act
SYNOPSIS
“New Jersey Marijuana Legalization Act”; legalizes possession and personal use of marijuana for persons age 21 and over; creates Division of Marijuana Enforcement and licensing structure.
LEGISLATION - NJ Senate Bill 2702 - New Jersey Marijuana Legalization Act
SYNOPSIS
Legalizes possession and personal use of marijuana for persons age 21 and over; creates Division of Marijuana Enforcement and licensing structure; revises requirements for medical marijuana program.
New Jerseys New Bill Could Bring Cannabis Lounges to the State
The creation of cannabis lounges is one of the more unique aspects of Rep. Scutari’s bill. If his proposal passes into law, dispensaries will be allowed to offer their customers special places where they can consume weed.
Under such a system, customers would be able to go to a dispensary to buy their favorite recreational weed products.
They could then take their purchases directly to the shop’s cannabis lounge. In that space, customers would be allowed to consume whatever they had just bought.
NJ legislation would legalize marijuana, expand medical pot
Recreational marijuana would be legalized and the medical cannabis program would be expanded under new legislation unveiled Friday in New Jersey.
The state is moving toward legalizing the drug under Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who while on the campaign trail promised to authorize recreational cannabis, but the Legislature has not moved on the issue beyond hearings and introducing legislation.
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