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New Jersey and the United States as a whole saw many notable changes in Cannabis Law in 2019, and in November of 2020, the Governor will once again seek to legalize recreational marijuana. Specifically:
- On November 25, 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy pushed for New Jersey to cut down on arrests
for marijuana possession by decriminalizing the drug “as soon as possible.”
- On November 20, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee approved of the Marijuana
Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (the MORE Act), marking the first time a
congressional committee has approved a piece of legislation to end federal cannabis
prohibition. The legislation, introduced in July by House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry
Nadler (D-NY), would decriminalize cannabis federally by removing it from the Controlled
Substances Act.
- On July 2, 2019, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed the Jake Honig Compassionate Use
Medical Cannabis Act into law. Nearly 60,000 patients are now enrolled in the medical
marijuana program in New Jersey, and there are currently 6 dispensaries, although the state is
seeking to expand that number to as many as 24 soon.
- Senate bill S3205 (6/11/19) attempted to address the issue of Low-Level Marijuana
Expungements and Social Justice in an ambitious and broad-sweeping makeover of the
current expungement process. The bill proposed the “impounding” of expunged records
related to marijuana offenses, not simply “extraction and isolation” as currently set forth in the
expungement statutes.
- On Aug. 9, 2019, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed A5322 into law, making the Garden
State the latest to establish a permanent program for the cultivation, handling, processing,
transport, and sale of hemp and hemp - derived products. As a result, hemp, hemp-derived
cannabinoids, and hemp products, including hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD), are no longer
controlled substances and are lawful to possess, transport, sell, and purchase within the state.
Cannabis is a billion dollar industry, involving growers, distributers, sellers, purchasers, real estate, insurance, health law, zoning, criminal law, municipal court and a wide variety of other areas. The law is constantly evolving, and New Jersey is on the verge of many significant changes. Make sure you’re up-to-date on all of the latest developments – reserve your seat at the Second Annual Cannabis Symposium. As an attendee, you’ll hear directly from key voices in the New Jersey cannabis discussion, as they share in-depth analysis of various areas of law related to cannabis use, sale, and growth, and its impact on your clients and your practice. You’ll gain valuable insight, strategies for handling many of the new situations that will likely arise, and the very latest information you need to know. |