New Jersey governor signs legislation legalizing recreational cannabis
By Barbara Goldberg
MAPLEWOOD, N.J., Feb 22 (Reuters) - Governor Phil Murphysigned legislation on Monday making New Jersey the latest U.S.state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, but it isexpected to take up to a year before dispensaries will beginselling cannabis to the public.
The Democratic governor signed a package of three billsafter voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question inNovember to legalize adult use of the drug.
The enactment came more than three years after Murphycampaigned for governor on the promise to make recreational uselegal in the state. Legalization was delayed by politicalopposition within the state legislature, even though both housesare controlled by members of Murphy's own party.
"New Jersey's broken & indefensible marijuana laws are nomore," Murphy said on Twitter.
Murphy signed into law bills that allow possession of up tosix ounces of marijuana by people age 21 or older. Distributionand growing cannabis without a license remain illegal. Thelegislation, passed earlier on Monday by the Assembly andSenate, also eased penalties for minors for possession ofmarijuana.
New Jersey joins more than a dozen other U.S. states,including other East Coast states of Maine, Vermont andMassachusetts, in legalizing cannabis for recreational use.Dozens of states permit marijuana to be used by patientssuffering a variety of medical conditions.
The move is expected to boost New Jersey's pandemic-strickeneconomy by launching a for-profit cannabis industry that shouldgenerate millions of tax dollars for the state. Recreationalsales at state-licensed dispensaries, however, may be as much asa year away.
"We can get down to the business of establishing aresponsible, sustainable, profitable and diverse adult-use andexpanded medical cannabis market in New Jersey," Edmund DeVeaux,head of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, said in astatement.
"We can stop the senseless arrests for possession and use ofa product that should have never been criminalized in the firstplace, and the voters approved over three months ago," he said.(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Dan Grebler)
