New Jersey Lawmakers to Vote on Marijuana Legalization This Month Says Senate President and Assembly Speaker
New Jersey lawmakers will vote later this month to advance legislation that would legalize marijuana, says Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Steve Sweeney.
On Wednesday at the state League of Municipalities’ annual conference in Atlantic City Coughlin said he has enough in committee to pass a measure that would legalize marijuana for everyone 21 and older. Speaking after Coughlin, Sweeney said he agrees with Coughlin’s timeline, but noted that he needs help from Governor Murphy to lobby votes; Murphy made legalizing marijuana one of his primary platforms in his successful run for governor last year, evening going as far as vowing to legalize marijuana in his first 100 days (a timeline which has passed, though most people don’t hold it against him as he’s continued to make it a key issue).
“The only way something like this gets passed legislatively is if all three of us work together,” said Sweeney. “If [the governor is] not going to lobby any votes for us then it won’t get done.”
According to a Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this year, 59% of voters in New Jersey support legalizing marijuana, with 37% opposed; only 4% remain undecided on the issue.
If New Jersey does legalize marijuana, they would become the 11th state to do so; Michigan became the 10th during this month’s election.
