While recreational marijuana is not yet legal in New Jersey, cities and towns are already making plans to either embrace it or prohibit it. To date, 19 municipalities have started the process of regulating cannabis within their borders.
Gov. Phil Murphy is a strong advocate for legalizing recreational marijuana; however, it is going to take a while for lawmakers to reach a consensus. Even Murphy has acknowledged that it may take until the end of the year for a bill to reach his desk.
Local Oversight Over Cannabis
The marijuana legalization bills proposed by Senator Nick Scutari and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora diverge on several key issues, including how cannabis would be taxed, who could grow it and how many businesses can operate. However, both leave significant oversight to New Jersey municipalities.