As a gubernatorial candidate, Phil Murphy vowed to reform New Jersey’s criminal justice system and to legalize recreational marijuana.
New Jersey has had an interesting eight years when it comes to legal marijuana. In 2010, outgoing Governor Jim Corzine signed a bill legalizing medical marijuana on his last day in office. Governor Christie took over the job and routinely expressed his anti-marijuana views. In May of 2017, Christie accused state Democrats of trying to “poison our kids” with legalizing recreational marijuana. He also said that taxes collected from legal sales would be “blood money” and that legalizing would be “beyond stupidity.”
But despite Christie’s rigid stance on recreational marijuana, lawmakers took major steps forward in the last six months toward legalization. In June, Democrat Nicholas Scutari introduced bill S3195. If passed S3195 would legalize recreational marijuana use. While Scutari knew Christie would not be supportive of his bill, he wanted to be ready in anticipation of the governor’s January departure.
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“Now is the time to begin shaping New Jersey’s recreational marijuana program,” Scutari said in June. “We will have a new governor next year and we should be prepared to move forward with a program that ends the prohibition on marijuana and that treats our residents fairly and humanely.”
Decriminalize marijuana possession of up to 50 grams “immediately” and allow people who have been arrested for pot possession to expunge their records;
Establish a Division of Marijuana Enforcement in the state Attorney General’s Office which would create the rules used to govern the legal market of growers and sellers;
Allow people to possess up to one ounce of dried marijuana, 16 ounces of edible products infused with cannabis, 72 ounces in liquid form and seven grams of marijuana “concentrate;
Impose a sales tax on recreational sales beginning at 7 percent in the first year, climbing to 10 percent in the second year and jumping five percent more each year until it reaches 25 percent. Taxes on medical marijuana would be abolished.
Give the five existing medical marijuana dispensary nonprofit groups first crack at selling recreational pot.
New Jersey lawmakers may have good reason to be bullish on legalizing recreational marijuana. Close to 60% of state residents support the plan.
This fact did not seem to elude Governor-elect Murphy on the campaign trail. He has vowed sweeping criminal justice reforms and cited legal marijuana as an important part of his plan.
“The criminalization of marijuana has only served to clog our courts and cloud people’s futures, so we will legalize marijuana,” he said in June after winning the Democratic primary. “And while there are financial benefits, this is overwhelmingly about doing what is right and just.”
In an election debate leading up to his victory, Murphy revealed why he is pushing for full legalization. With decriminalization “the drug industry stays underground, run by the same people and it’s unregulated, so, therefore, minors, in particular, are exposed to that. But set aside the fact you don’t earn the tax revenue, which is also a reality, the fact is it remains the wild west.”
Yesterday, Murphy was elected as the new governor of New Jersey by a wide margin. Criminal justice reform and marijuana advocates will likely be keeping a watchful eye to see if he makes good on his campaign promises.
A study by the New Jersey Policy Perspective estimates that New Jersey could net $300 million per year in tax revenue from marijuana sales. New Jersey’s economy may need the boost. It is routinely rated as weak by economists and many analysts feel New Jersey needs to move in a new direction to improve its economy.
