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Lawmakers have reached agreement on a bill that will launch a legal marijuana industry in New Jersey, paving the way for the bill to be passed later this month.
“There is a deal,” Senator Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, the sponsor of the Marijuana Legalization Bill (S21) said Friday night. “It has been a long road and I will be happy when it is done.”
The compromise places a limit on licenses in the law: the state can only grant 37 licenses to growers of marijuana in the first two years of legal sales. The limit does not apply to microlicenses, which can be granted to companies with 10 or fewer employees.
It also devotes 70% of sales tax revenue, along with all funds raised by a tax on growers, to support remedial programs for legal aid, health care, mentoring and more in local communities. minority communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.
The first element is a victory for the Assembly and the second for the Senate. Disagreements over how to limit licensing and direct funding for social justice causes both resulted in delays in the process.
“When the original bill was introduced in the Senate several years ago, there was no mention of social justice, social equity and returning income to affected communities and people who shave. been affected by the war on drugs, ”said MP Jamel Holley, D-Union, one of the bill’s sponsors in the assembly. “Although it took a very, very long time of negotiation, debate and dialogue, I am very proud of the work of the members of the Black Caucus and the Assembly and of our speaker to produce the Social Justice Focal Point. in this bill. Everyone in New Jersey should be proud.
Governor Phil Murphy, Speaker of the Senate Stephen Sweeney and Speaker of the Assembly Craig Coughlin released a joint statement Friday evening with Scutari and MP Annette Quijano, D-Union, another sponsor of the Bill’s version of Assembly.
“We are proud to announce today that we have reached agreement on legislation providing the framework for legalization, which is a crucial step in reducing the racial and social inequalities that have long plagued our justice system. criminal justice, ”the statement read.
“This bill will achieve our common goals of delivering restorative justice and ensure that communities most affected by the war on drugs see the economic benefits of the adult cannabis market.” While there is still a lot of work to be done, we are on the verge of building a promising new industry for our state. “
New Jersey voters approved a voting question to change the state’s constitution and legalize marijuana on November 3. But lawmakers have yet to pass a bill establishing rules and regulations for the new marijuana industry in order to make the will of the people a reality.
Scutari stressed the need to work quickly and do something before January 1, when the constitutional amendment comes into force. And others have pressured lawmakers to pass a bill that will decriminalize marijuana possession and end arrests.
Lawmakers struck another deal on this issue earlier this week to pass a bill that will allow people to own up to six ounces of marijuana. The effort failed in November after the Senate added a provision that would also reduce penalties for possession of psilocybin, commonly known as “magic” mushrooms. The Assembly did not vote on this matter.
Instead, they introduced a separate bill aimed at reducing criminal penalties for psilocybin-related offenses, which will be submitted to the Assembly Judiciary Committee for a first hearing on Monday morning. Lawmakers expect to move forward with the bill to decriminalize marijuana this month.
Senators also introduced a new constitutional amendment this week that could be presented to voters in 2021. It aims to solidify the tax structure outlined in S21, ensuring that the money is only used for social and racial justice causes. , and not to the general state fund.
Lawmakers proposed the tax regime and amended the bill after lawyers came in droves to testify against an original version that did not direct money to minority communities. They also called for an end to licensing limits, arguing that an industry open to more operators would allow more minorities and women to enter the industry. A bigger industry could also lead to the production of more marijuana and lower prices.
But the state’s existing medical marijuana companies, which have competed fiercely for a limited number of licenses and stand to gain from an early take on the market, have strongly supported a temporary limit on new licensees. license.
The legalization bill will go to the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 14 and for a full vote on December 17, Scutari said.
NJ Advance Media reporter Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.
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Amanda Hoover can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj.
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