LOCAL NEWS
What Happens to a Pot Plan Deferred? Photo by Lucas Fonseca
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ew Jersey legislators and Gov. Phil Murphy are in a stalemate over the state’s marijuana laws. Lawmakers approved bills decriminalizing Cannabis and establishing the legal framework for the state’s adult-use marijuana market over a month ago but in a surprise move, the governor has refused to sign the bills into law. The holdup centers on Murphy’s insistence on adding penalties for underage Cannabis use. The governor announced he would not sign either the decriminalization or legalization bills, which he considers companion legislation, until lawmakers drafted a “cleanup” bill that specified punishments for minors possessing pot. “This was never about legalizing marijuana for our kids,” Murphy said. In an effort to preserve months of work on the Cannabis bills, legislators acquiesced and added penalties to a new bill. The new measure set fines for underage possession (people 18 to 20 years old) at $250 for up to an ounce
of marijuana and $500 for up to six ounces. Minors (under 18) caught with Cannabis would be sent to a juvenile justice court. However, in another surprise (but righteous) move, shortly after the “cleanup” bill was drafted, several state representatives pulled their support and a vote for the new measure was cancelled. Lawmakers objected to adding penalties for pot possession to a legalization bill, and many felt that the change would disproportionately affect the communities of color that have suffered the most under prohibition. “The governor can’t hold legislation hostage in an effort to further target over-policed communities and place a de facto tax on poor people whose children may suffer from drug abuse and addiction. This proposal is regressive, draconian and ethically perverse,” Assemblyman Jamel Holley (D-Union) said in a statement. During his State of the State address in January, Gov. Murphy claimed, “We are on the verge of passing an innovative and groundbreaking set of laws to reform our historically unjust approach to marijuana and Cannabis.” However, after frustrations boiled over and lawmakers pulled their support for the “cleanup” bill, Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) said the Senate was done with the issue and that the governor has to sign the bill or veto it. Senate President Steve Sweeney (D) said, “The ball’s in [Murphy’s] court.” As we go to press, three weeks into January 2021, more than two months after voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment legalizing Cannabis on Election Day – which became necessary after years of disagreements in the legislature over recreational marijuana – the state remains unable to pass a Cannabis law. New Jersey politics are exhausting.
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PRO - POT RI GOVERNOR President Joe Biden has selected Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to head the United States Department of Commerce.
FEB. 2021
Photo by Yash Lucid
P
resident Joe Biden has selected Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to head the United States Department of Commerce. If confirmed by the Senate, Raimondo would be in charge of overseeing the country’s economic recovery and growth in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as commerce secretary. This is especially noteworthy because Raimondo proposed legalizing Cannabis as a plan for stimulating the economy as governor of Rhode Island. Raimondo has been outspoken about legalization, calling it “the next logical step” and working with other governors in the Northeast on a regional approach to legal pot. She’s also included legalization in her last two state budget proposals. Each time, lawmakers decided not to adopt the plan. While Cannabis has been legalized in 15 states and the District of Columbia, Raimondo’s most recent adult-use plan is unlike any current law in the country. The governor supports a state-run model for marijuana retail, instead of the privatized commercial system enacted in all adult-use states. According to Raimondo, a retail Cannabis program run by the state government would be “the most controlled way to do it, arguably the safest, and the way to maximize state revenue.” Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee recently announced that he too supports legalizing Cannabis in Rhode Island. However, McKee’s plan favors an “entrepreneurial strategy” that would leave retail pot to private industry and not the state’s government. McKee would replace Raimondo as governor if she’s confirmed as commerce secretary. Raimondo has repeatedly discussed the economic benefits of Cannabis legalization and clearly sees it as a means to address budget issues by bringing in much needed tax revenue. It remains to be seen if she would push for a similar solution at the federal level.
