Recreational Marijuana Legalization Passes NJ Legislative Committees
New Jersey is one step closer to legalizing recreational marijuana use after the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee each approved the New Jersey Marijuana Legalization Act after a four hour joint hearing on the bill.
The Senate Committee passed the bill 7-4, with two abstentions.
Monmouth County’s senators on the committee came down on different sides as Senator Vin Gopal (D-ll) voted in favor of the bill and Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) voted against.
O’Scanlon, on twitter, said that proponents of legalization of have not yet made their case while he criticized some opponents of legalization for their “hyperbolic contentions of anarchy and destruction.”
I voted “no” today not because I accept the hyperbolic contentions of anarchy&destruction voiced by many, but because of the reasonable concerns expressed by some.The supporters of legalization make solid arguments.They care about our kids too. They just haven’t closed the deal. https://t.co/6xsfDlVV0f
— Declan O’Scanlon (@declanoscanlon) November 26, 2018
The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted to advance the bill 7-3-1.
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden was in Trenton to testify against the bill while urging the legislators to amend the bill to provide law enforcement with sufficient resources to train officers as Drug Recognition Experts. Noting that 9-1-1 fees are diverted by Trenton, Golden urged a dedicated source of state funding for the increased demands law enforcement anticipated by legal marijuana.
More from my site
Pot Legalizaton Passes in Senate and Assembly Committees
Sheriff Golden: Murphy’s Pot Bill Is Dangerous Money Grab That Disregards Impact On Local Communities
Middletown Mayor: If Pot Is Legalized, It Should Be Regulated Like Alcohol- Bill to legalize recreational marijuana in N.J. set to be unveiled
Gopal abstains on $10 billion borrowing bill – O’Scanlon sues to halt the borrowing- Monmouth Poll: Support for legal weed in NJ is high
O’Scanlon slams Murphy for holding up Monmouth Park sport betting.
Gopal wants Freeholders to be called County Commissioners
Watermark Asbury Park Owner Wants Donovan’s Reef Shut Down
O’Scanlon Clarifies His Position On Legalized Marijuana
NJ can’t get any more greedy, short- sighted, or dumb, here we go,with what will ultimately prove to be yet another nightmare, in living here. Really looking forward to more dumbing- down of kids, and the electorate, more substance- impaired driving and accidents than we already have, more kids getting sick from ingesting the food products and inhaling the smoke from their ignorant parents/ family, and next, more greed from the legislature, by legalizing more drugs to addict and kill more people, while of course, never lowering any of our other, oppressive taxes..( there will never be enough revenue to feed all the programs and promises.) – only things left, will be to legalize and tax prostitution, then, the evermore polluted air we breathe, here.. buh- bye, NJ!
The stupidity of our governor is astonishing. The way he governs centers around two things, what group he can pander to and what tax he can raise or create to pay off his stupid, idiotic, unworkable campaign promises. This guy has absolutely no clue as to how destructive his policies are. Being able to say I told you so to all the dummies who voted for this numbskull will be a minor victory in this war for New Jersey’s future.
Just thought of yet another revenue source: they finally started sports betting, ( BTW, does anyone know what the state’s take on all the betting is? Haven’t seen/ heard that, yet.) so, here’s something to add to the betting menus: elections! Who wants to bet on The Murph getting re- elected in 2021? Our fellow voters should be sufficiently sated with their “recreational pot,” to think everything’s going just ducky here in Blue Jersey, and, if they can stumble out to the polls, find his name on the line and let the fun continue, here!!
I don’t know the answer but I have what I think is a legitimate question.
Do health insurance companies penalize people who participate in the use of “recreational drugs” in other states? Or can they? Should they?
I’m mostly asking because if I take my car up the Island Dragway in lovely Great Meadows, NJ to do some “recreational racing”, and wreck my ride on the track then auto insurance company will tell me to go pound salt.
If I go recreational skydiving, and my chute fails to open leading me to go full IHOP on Earth’s surface then life insurance will also tell me to go pound salt.
So if a drug addict is now smoking “recreational weed” and develops lung cancer, can the health insurance companies tell them to go pound salt? Can dental insurance companies do the same?
but since most insurances are based on averaged risks, my guess is, those who get free care anyway (the number of which we know is increasing all the time,) will still get it, and any increase in illnesses, thanks to increased pot use, will probably up our costs, and lower our coverages.. happy to help, thanks, idiots!