What’s next with cannabis legalization in NJ is the focus of political roundtable today
Amid a stalemate over how New Jersey should end marijuana arrests and legitimize the cannabis industry, top state lawmakers Monday are virtually gathering a panel of experts from the advocacy, legal and labor communities to discuss what should happen next.
The Marijuana Legalization & Social Justice Roundtable will feature commentary from Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester; Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, sponsor of the legalization bill, (S21); Sen. Sandra Cunningham, sponsor of the decriminalization bill, (S2535); Public Defender Joseph Krekora; Richard Todd Edwards, political action chairman for the NAACP New Jersey Conference; Kimberly Yonta, president of the N.J. State Bar Association; and Christian Estevez, education and training coordinator for the New Jersey AFL-CIO.
The virtual event will take place Monday at 1:30 p.m. on Senate Majority Office’s Facebook page.
Since New Jerseyans voted by a 2-to-1 margin on Nov. 3 to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older, state lawmakers and policy makers have worked to draft legislation that would halt arrests before the industry is ready to permit sales. But those efforts stalled last week nearly two weeks ago in a behind-the-scenes clash over the details between the Senate and Assembly.
The Senate included a provision in the decriminalization bill that also would reduce criminal penalties for getting caught with psychedelic mushrooms. The state Assembly, caught unaware of the change, has refused to act on the bill.