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New Jersey has taken another major step towards legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes, as two state legislative committees have approved a new bill establishing historic votes throughout the legislature. State next week.
The committees took hours to vote after legislators quarreled over last-minute changes to the closed-door measure at the Trenton Statehouse.
The Judiciary Committee of the State Senate advanced the bill with a vote of 6-4, with one abstention, after 20 hours. The appropriations committee of the Assembly of States had previously approved it by 6 votes to 2, with two abstentions.
Legislators have also approved a separate bill on radiation and a bill on the expansion of marijuana for medical purposes.
The Senate and the entire Assembly must now pass the measure before Governor Phil Murphy, one of the main proponents of the legal pot, can sign it. But the votes to obtain the legalization remain elusive.
From Monday afternoon, the leaders still had very few votes. Murphy, who has been criticized in recent days for not doing enough to elicit votes, called on lawmakers on Monday to tilt some votes, told NJ Advance Media two sources informed of the situation.
The governor made "dozens" of calls during the day, said a senior administration official.
Monday's action paves the way for a series of phone calls and discussions over the next seven days before the scheduled final vote scheduled for March 25. If the Senate and the Assembly do not succeed that day, it is possible that another vote is not attempted. until late in the year.
During the hearing before the Assembly Committee, Gregory Quinlan of the Center for Garden State Families said the bill was "bad for the state" and that it was bothered by the way Monday's day unfolded, with behind-the-scenes conversations and late amendments.
"How can I testify on a bill that deals with amendments that I have not seen?" Asked Quinlan at the Assembly panel. "It's disrespectful to us."
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The bill would legalize possession and personal use of marijuana for New Jersey residents aged at least 21 years old while creating a regulated sector. The measure would also allow people convicted of low marijuana to have these charges removed from their files.
Supporters and opponents of marijuana have spent all day Monday around the Statehouse, while waiting for an opportunity to testify on the bills. But they did not have the opportunity to address the Senate committee, which canceled public testimony. The Assembly limited the testimony to a few minutes per speaker.
A handful of the most active cannabis supporters said Monday that they were generally satisfied with the updated legalization bill, which was revealed last week.
Scott Rudder, president of the CannaBusiness Association of New Jersey, said the bill was a decent compromise.
"I have not heard of anyone who is really happy," said Rudder. "But if someone really happy, it's not a good compromise."
Despite the progress of the bills, not everyone involved in the debate is content with language, especially social justice provisions. Newark mayor Ras Baraka called for more progressive delisting language in his speeches before the Assembly's appropriations committee.
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"The radiation process is tedious and inefficient," Baraka said. "It still penalizes individuals convicted of marijuana charges.We must remedy all situations and allow them to live fully and peacefully, so that previous offenses related to cannabis do not prevent them from accessing jobs likely to improve their "quality of life."
Legislative sources said Monday afternoon that the assembly was still two-way legalization and that the Senate still had to tip at least three votes. These numbers are lower than last week. It seems that legislators are making progress in counting votes.
If the bill can be passed next Monday and the governors sign it, the regulators would immediately start drafting the rules of the industry, which should be launched about a year after their adoption.
If the plan does not pass next week, it may take some time before the legalization is discussed again. Senate Speaker Stephen Sweeney said this month that if the legal grass did not pass in March, it would likely be postponed after the November elections.
Payton Guion can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@PaytonGuion.
Brent Johnson can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ johnsb01.
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