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Years after New Jersey began efforts to legalize marijuana for adults, lawmakers on Thursday passed a historic bill that would establish rules and regulations for the sale of legal marijuana and make Garden State the first in the region to replace its pot laws.
The state legislature voted 49-24 with six cuts to pass the bill (S21), and the Senate passed it 23-17, later Thursday.
The bill now goes to the desk of government Phil Murphy, who must sign off on the steps to become law.
“I don’t think all New Jerseys will be affected more by what I’ve done in my career in the legislature,” said Bill’s sponsor, D-Union, Sen. Nicholas Scootari said before the vote.
“It’s been a long journey,” he said.
It was the will of the people – who voted 2: 1 in November to amend the state constitution and legalize weeds – eventually force the struggling legislators to say yes.
Scooter and Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, decided last fall to end legal efforts to legalize marijuana and instead put the issue before voters after failing to get enough votes several times.
But the passage of the ballot question put legislators back to work on outlining rules and regulations for the industry – this time with a directive to pass a bill focused on social and racial justice.
“The bill to legalize Bengal is a commitment to social justice,” said Annette Quizono, assembly woman of the D-Union, which sponsors the legislative version of the bill. “This bill establishes measures to diversify and equip the cannabis business.”
Senate Ron Rice, D-Essex, tended to push for a suffrage in the Senate, criticizing Bill and Scooter for what he sees as inadequate provisions for social justice.
“Where have you been all these years?” The scooter fired. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You have done nothing for your community. ”
Sweeney intervened, and threatened to silence the senators for calling each other during the virtual voting session.
Sen. Nia Gill, D-Essex, said she would support the bill, but thought the social justice provisions would prove to be her “weakest part,” noting that MLA Black Cox and other advocates would not demand her until she Were absent in the bill.
“Sen. Scooter, you can’t take a bow on stage, “he said.
The bill currently imposes 70% of the state’s sales tax revenue on marijuana purchases and marijuana producers an income tax that is unusual for some minority communities affected by the drug war. But some are concerned that the language is not strong enough to guarantee funding for such community programs and wanted the bill to outline a clear path for people with previous marijuana beliefs to enter the legal industry.
“The New Jersey Legislature has enacted the most progressive law in the country regarding the legalization of marijuana, including the critical elements of social justice and social equality that communities of color and others have been demanding for years,” said Assemblyman Jemmel Holly, a sponsor of the D-Union Act. Said in the statement. “This is a defining moment in the history of our state, as we have finally brought to an end the failed ‘war on drugs’ that has shattered the lives of so many people, locked them in long, unreasonable captivity.”
In addition to passing the 240-page landmark law, legislators were to vote to end arrests for selling less than six ounces of marijuana or up to an ounce (S2535) and to reduce fines for those caught with psilocybin or “magic”. Mushrooms (S3256).
The Assembly voted on the decriminalization bill with three votes of 64 to 12.
The Senate also briefly passed the Psilocybin Bill, which would change the possession of a disorder from a third-degree offense to an offense for persons with disabilities to a maximum of six months in prison and a $ 1,000 fine, with two exemptions from a 22-15 vote. The Assembly passed the bill 21-2 with six redemptions.
The Senate also passed the Third Cannabis Bill (S2875), which would allow investors, including current medical marijuana administrators, to fund new marijuana licenses set aside for minorities, women and the elderly with disabilities. The committee is pending a legislative hearing on that move.
MLAs were under pressure to act quickly after the election, as the constitutional amendment jan. 1 applies to takes takes takes. Without legislation to prevent possession arrests or advance the legal industry, some worry that the illegal market will run free, and arrests will continue but will have to be confronted. Numerous court challenges.
Even if Murphy quickly signs the bill, work remains to be done. He and Assembly Speaker Craig Cufflin, D-Middlesex, should still have names of appointments to the Cannabis Regulatory Commission. The panel will oversee the licensing process for new marijuana businesses, from growers to hospitals.
Some estimate that it will take at least a year before the commission announces the rules, award licenses and public hospitals.
“We are acknowledging the historic nature of this moment,” said Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey. “For years now, as part of a good decade, we have been advocating for legislation that would legalize marijuana and help improve the damage caused by the war on drugs. Finally we are at a place where we can see the finish line. “
“When the bill isn’t perfect, it’s a compromise.”
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Amanda Hoover can be reached [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter amandahoovernj.
