NJ Marijuana Lobbyists Tripled Their Spending After Christie Left

New Jersey marijuana lobbyists more than tripled their spending in 2018, the first year after Gov. Phil Murphy took over for Chris Christie, state election officials say.

Earlier this week, the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) released preliminary data on state-tracked lobbying for 2018. According to the ELEC, businesses and interest groups with stakes in medical marijuana – or that support or oppose legalization of recreational cannabis – ramped up their spending from $330,935 in 2017 to $1,388,076 in 2018... an increase of 319 percent.

And the departure of Christie – an infamous opponent of marijuana legalization in New Jersey who once called the idea “stupid” – was a big reason why, officials said.

The ELEC stated:

“New Jersey legalized medical marijuana in January 2010 and a full legalization bill was first proposed in January 2014 by state Senator Nicholas Scutari (D-22). But Scutari’s bill languished several years because former Republican Governor Chris Christie opposed it. All six Democratic gubernatorial candidates, including Murphy, who ran in 2017 to fill Christie’s seat supported legalized marijuana. After Murphy took office in January 2018, and with Democrats controlling both legislative houses, lobbying activity escalated on the proposed marijuana legalization bill (S-2703). Statehouse leaders still are trying to hammer out the final details of the complex measure. Murphy also administratively expanded the state’s medical marijuana program last year. Further expansion of legalized marijuana would mean huge growth for the fledgling industry. Many companies hoping to play a role in its growth have hired a fleet of lobbyists on their behalf.”

During his tenure as governor, Christie was a vocal opponent of legalizing marijuana, at one point describing potential tax revenue from marijuana as "blood money."

As part of Christie’s platform during his presidential run in 2016, he vowed to "crack down" on states that have enacted legalized marijuana laws and repeated his claim that marijuana is a "gateway drug."

However, Christie also showed at least some willingness to bend to pro-cannabis concerns, such as in September 2016, when he approved PTSD as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana in New Jersey.

• See related article: Marijuana Justice Act Would Make Weed Legal In US

Here's who spent money on political lobbying for “marijuana issues” in 2018, according to state election officials.

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