Efforts to approve enabling legislation to enact a regulated marijuana market in New Jersey have already hit a bump in the road with two committees pulling companion bills from scheduled hearings on Thursday. However, a separate proposal to decriminalize cannabis possession was approved by a Senate panel. About two-thirds of New Jersey voters approved a referendum to legalize cannabis on Election Day, but it’s still up to lawmakers to pass legislation that will set up the rules for the program and allow for retail sales. Legislators moved quickly to introduce and act on implementation bills, which cleared the Senate Judiciary and Assembly Oversight, Reform, and Federal Relations Committees on Monday. For the decriminalization legislation bill that passed the Senate committee on Thursday, cannabis penalties would be further reduced and police could not use the odor of marijuana as justification to conduct a search.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 11/12/2020 14:51:21