Two Republicans representing Morris County in Trenton are pushing back against the promise by Governor-elect Phil Murphy to sign a bill legalizing marijuana in the first 100 days of his administration.
Murphy and the Democratic majorities in the Senate and Assembly have said they want marijuana legalized in early 2018, which could generate up to $300 million in annual taxes to the state.
District 25 Sen. Joseph Pennacchio and District 26 Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco are against the legalization. Bucco said the issue needs to be debated.
To that end, Bucco announced Friday he introduced legislation that would require police to obtain blood samples from people arrested for drug-impaired driving.
"If we are going to see legalized marijuana in 2018, I think we need to be ahead of the curve," Bucco said. "We need to start thinking about how we are going to be able to enforce the laws we have, and how we're not only going to regulate its use, but also make sure that we have a way to make sure people aren't abusing it similar to alcohol."
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