New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has directed prosecutors to halt possession charges for small amounts of cannabis as the state’s lawmakers work on legislation to implement an adult-use cannabis program, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Guidance distributed by Grewal on Nov. 25 instructs all municipal, county and state prosecutors to put a hold on cases until at least Jan. 25, 2021, the news outlet reported, although the directive does not cover driving under the influence or order police to stop arresting people for the possession of small amounts of cannabis.
A decriminalization bill stalled in the New Jersey Assembly earlier this month after the Senate approved a version of the legislation that included an amendment to lessen the penalty for the possession of up to one ounce of psilocybin, or psychedelic mushrooms.
Also pending in the legislature is legislation that would roll out an adult-use cannabis program in the state, following voters’ approval of legalization on Election Day. Lawmakers passed two different versions of the bill earlier this month and must now agree on a unified proposal before the legislation can receive floor votes.
Lawmakers are expected to take up the bill again on Dec. 7, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
