Murphy to make marijuana sales essential

Governor Phil Murphy will use his emergency powers to expand New Jersey’s medical marijuana program such that all residents subject to the state stay at home order during the COVID-19 crisis are eligible to be treated with weed. Stress, anxiety and hording will be conditions that can be treated under the program. The Governor will announce Executive Order 420 at his press briefing at 1 p.m. on April 1, 2020.

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O’Scanlon Clarifies His Position On Legalized Marijuana

By Senator Declan O’Scanlon

In the ill-fated recent rush to pass legislation that would legalize, tax, and regulate recreational adult use of marijuana, my position on the legislation, and the issue, has been misunderstood and mischaracterized by some New Jersey media outlets.

With regard to the bill package that Senate President Sweeney removed from the Senate calendar on March 25, I was a hard ‘NO’ vote. It has been reported that I was willing to trade my vote for funding for projects or causes specific to my Monmouth County district. It has also been reported that I was a “soft ‘yes’” vote.  Those reports are fake news that were published by outlets that either did not speak with me or misunderstood/mischaracterized what I told them.

I want to firmly destroy and denounce these false, offensive assertions. Those that know me know I’m not for sale – not for personal gain and not for political-favor-purchasing bacon brought back to my district. Not once have I, and never will I, make such trade-offs. The only way to earn my vote is to give me good policy. Read the rest of this entry »

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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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State Owned Bank and Legal Weed: Perfect Together?

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On his Ask the Governor show on public radio last night, Governor Phil Murphy said he has a big meeting today about his idea to create a state owned bank, according to reporter Joe Hernandez.

.@GovMurphy says he has a big meeting tomorrow on his idea to create a public bank in N.J. which hasn’t gotten much attention since his campaign

— Joe Hernandez (@byJoeHernandez) February 5, 2019

As Hernandez noted in his tweet, the Murphy’s public bank idea has not gotten much attention since his 2017 campaign. So why now?

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Golden Slams O’Scanlon’s Marijuana Effort

In a rare public disagreement among Monmouth County Republicans, Sheriff Shaun Golden, the Party Chairman, slammed Senator Declan O’Scanlon’s effort to win fiscal and public safety reforms from Governor Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney in exchange for three Republican votes in the Senate to legalize recreational marijuana.

Golden took to twitter last night, calling the the proposal “typical Trenton”

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Three GOP State Senators Willing To Trade Marijuana Support For Fiscal And Public Safety Reforms

Senator Declan O’Scanlon

Three  Republican State Senators, including Monmouth County’s Declan O’Scanlon are willing to vote to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey if Governor Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney deliver the return of the Energy Receipts Tax to municipalities, a dedicated 911 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund, funding for addiction recovery services and a guaranteed reimbursement fund for municipalities paying to train police officers as Drug Recognition Experts who can assess if a driver is impaired by cannabis, according to an article on NJ.com

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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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FDU Poll: New Jersey residents do not support full legalization of recreational marijuana

A strong majority of New Jersey residents, 68%, favor reforming the state’s law concerning marijuana use, but most, 53%, do not favor making the recreational use and sale of the drug legal, according to an FDU Public Mind Poll released this morning.

27% of the 810 NJ adults surveyed in the poll think NJ’s pot laws should stay as-is.  26% think weed use should be decriminalized.  42% favor full legalization. Read the rest of this entry »

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Monmouth Freeholders Oppose Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

Monmouth County Freeholder Director Tom Arnone speaks passionately against the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey. (Apologies to County Purchasing Director Helen Fiore)

Freehold- The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders passed a resolution opposing the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey at their regular meeting on Thursday, January 25.  Read the rest of this entry »

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