Sources told Patch that the Murphy administration wants to make sure there are penalties for underaged, under-21 users. The legislation appears to not provide any kind of legal mechanism that would penalize underaged users.
The objection comes just weeks after the state New Jersey Assembly and Senate voted in favor of legislation that clears the way and creates a framework for marijuana legalization in 2021. The bill needs Gov. Phil Murphy's signature to become law.
In general, the decriminalization proposal would remove criminal and civil penalties for possession of up to six ounces of marijuana. While Murphy is in favor of that policy change, the legislation as passed doesn’t maintain penalties for people under 21, and there’s a desire for youth cannabis possession cases to be treated in the same way as underage alcohol possession.
If the Legislature is indeed going to vote on both marijuana legalization and medical marijuana, leadership wants members to discuss concerns.
At this point, some bureaucratic questions remain, including penalties for under 21 offenders and how money is allocated back into the communities.
More later.