Governor of New Jersey Proposes Cannabis Legalization by End of 2018

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]N[/dropcap]ew Jersey’s Gov. Phil Murphy is planning to legalize cannabis in his state by the end of 2018.

According to NJ.com, Murphy is committed to legalizing cannabis, even though he currently lacks support from other legislators in the state. He is interested in the tax revenue that legalization could bring to his home state.

The proposed bill, NJ-S830 may not pass the state legislature, given the fact that many legislators in New Jersey still don’t support cannabis legalization. However NJ.com indicated that advisors will push Murphy to propose a constitutional amendment, meaning that the issue will be put to a popular vote. “I greatly respect those in this chamber who have proposed decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, and I thank them for recognizing the importance of doing what’s right and just for those who carry criminal records for past possession arrests,” Murphy said. “But decriminalization alone will not put the corner dealer out of business; it will not help us protect our kids, and it will not end the racial disparities we see.”

According to App, in addition to legalizing the plant for sales, the proposed legislation would allow cannabis consumers to grow six plants at home, with only three mature plants at a time.

New Jersey has faced issues legalizing cannabis in the past and the state has recently been ordered to reevaluate cannabis and has worked to add more qualifying programs for medical patients. New Jersey is striving to become one of the next legal states in the U.S., and with any luck, they will be joining the ranks in 2019.