In November, voters in New Jersey approved marijuana legalization in the state. However, there have been constant setbacks in bringing the bill to fruition. Seems that finally most of those hurdles have been past, with just one left.
According to app.com, this week NJ legislators are planning to pass a cleanup bill that deals with punishments for underage pot smokers.
This bill would create $50 fines, parent notification, and community group referrals for those caught with marijuana between the ages of 18-21. This fine amount is greatly reduced from earlier drafts, where it reached $500, which was thought to be too high and potentially would target Black and brown youth in the state.
Once this passes the state senate, Governor Murphy has signaled that he would finally sign the overarching legalization amendment passed by voters in November.
It’s been an uphill battle. From app.com, “legislators and the governor’s office have feuded over the number of permits for cannabis growers, changes to workplace drug testing laws and a tax structure that would both drive state revenue and repay communities most impacted by the war on drugs,” since the election.
