
Gov. Phil Murphy announced last week he’s giving the state Legislature until May to pass a pair of linked bills — one that would legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey and another that would expand the state’s medical marijuana program. Otherwise, he said, he’ll have no choice but to expand medicinal pot on his own to reach more patients.
But top state lawmakers are worried Murphy’s announcement may hurt their chances of finally legalizing weed in the coming weeks, three legislative sources told NJ Advance Media.
And if pot isn’t legalized by the end of next month, it may not happen until the end of the year, said the sources, who asked for anonymity to speak candidly about a sensitive matter.