Pot Legalizaton Passes in Senate and Assembly Committees

After hours of delays for last minute amendments which caused the suspension of testimony and debate  a legislation that legalizes and establishes a regulatory structure of recreation marijuana passed the Assembly Appropriates Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday night, according to reports on Politico, InsiderNJ and NJGlobe.

Legislation to expunge marijuana convictions, including felony convictions for selling over 5 lbs of pot, passed the committees.  The felony expungement provisions prompted a strong reaction from Republican Senators Kip Bateman (Somerset), Michael Doherty (Warren) and Gerald Cardinale (Bergen).  Bateman said the bill contained “evil.”  Doherty said that the bill is a “deal with the devil.”  Cardinale suggested calling the bill, “the Drug Pusher’s Friend Act.” 

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Sheriff Golden: Murphy’s Pot Bill Is Dangerous Money Grab That Disregards Impact On Local Communities

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden issued a statement today condemning the Trenton Democrats’ marijuana legislation as “poorly written policy by the Democratic majority” “that is aimed at grabbing tax dollars without any regard on the impacts on our local communities!”

Sheriff Golden, also the Monmouth County Republican Chairman, issued his statement in a email to Monmouth Republican elected officials and party leaders.

Golden said the legislation would allow more pots shops than coffee shops in New Jersey and does not provide for licensing of retail establishments or background checks of retailers by law enforcement officers, as liquor licenses require.  He cited published reports that indicate that legal marijuana in other jurisdictions have increased minority arrests and incarceration and increased motor vehicle collisions and fatalities.

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Middletown Mayor: If Pot Is Legalized, It Should Be Regulated Like Alcohol

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry says that if recreational marijuana is to become legal in New Jersey, that its retail sale of should be regulated like alcohol is regulated…with municipalities selling licenses and conducting background checks on the sellers.

The legislation currently under consideration in Trenton, and reportedly agreed upon by Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin amounts to an unfunded burden upon local governments, Perry said in a letter to Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello, President of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, with copies sent to the 13th District legislators; Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywomen Amy Handlin and Serena DiMaso, as well as Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden and Freeholder Director Tom Arnone.

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Monmouth Poll: Support for legal weed in NJ is high

62% of New Jersey adults support legalizing marijuana, up from 59% last year, according to a Monmouth University Poll released this morning.

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Guadagno: Legalizing prostitution would be better than legalizing pot

Former Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno photo via NJ.gov

In an interview with Bill Spadea on NJ101.5 yesterday, former Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno said legalizing prostitution would be less harmful than legalizing recreational marijuana and that doing so would benefit the women who work in the world’s oldest profession.

“Now that I’m not running for office anymore, if they need revenue that badly, let’s legalize a victimless crime and tax it up the wazoo.  What to I mean by that? Let’ legalize prostitution,” Guadagno said.

“It’s better for women cause they’ll get good medical care. We’ll cut off the middleman, if you know what I mean, and it’s between two consenting adults.”

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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.

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