NJ Marijuana Legalization Is Alive Again: Here's When It May Come

Yes, it's baaaack. Just months after it was declared dead.

Top lawmakers say they're reviving legislative efforts to legalize marijuana in New Jersey, and they're ready to do it by the end of the year.

Sources close to Senate President Steve Sweeney said lawmakers will make another run at it, perhaps during the lame-duck session between Election Day and January.

Gov. Phil Murphy echoed those remarks during an unrelated event on Thursday, according to nj.com, saying he was "encouraged" to hear that Sweeney was ready to revive the bill and "count me all in to try and work toward that."

“I was happy to hear that," he told nj.com. "Getting something to happen sooner if we have a real shot at it, I’d be all in for that.”

If it's approved by January, pot wouldn't be sold in stores for another six months to a year after that because of the lengthy regulatory process that needs to be developed.

If marijuana legalization is going to happen, it needs both Sweeney and Murphy on the same page, scrambling to get the five votes needed to pass the legislation.

Efforts to pass the bill earlier in the year fell about 5 votes short. Read more: New Jersey Cancels Vote On Marijuana Legalization

Those no-votes included Sen. Richard Codey, the former acting governor, and Sen. Ron Rice, both D-Essex. Rice, a former police officer, said he prefers to decriminalize the drug.

It wasn't clear at press time what prompted the change of heart from Sweeney or if he's made progress in changing the minds of those five state senators.

Sources close to Patch say negotiations slowed to a crawl since the Murphy administration has been investigating whether corporations misused tax breaks in past years, including one company owned by Democratic powerbroker George Norcross, a close ally of Sweeney.

In May, Sweeney announced that lawmakers were giving up efforts to legalize marijuana on their own and that voters would be given a chance in a November 2020 referendum to legalize recreational pot. Lawmakers would have to amend the state Constitution to do it.

Last month, Murphy signed legislation designed to make medical marijuana more accessible to patients who could benefit from it. Read more: Murphy Signs 17 Bills Into Law: Huge Step For Medical Marijuana

They're also planning to expunge the records of many residents with past convictions.

Sweeney has said he wants to achieve progress on social justice reforms with legislation to revise procedures and eligibility for the expungement of criminal records.

"We want to move forward to help transform the state’s medical marijuana program and to achieve the progressive reforms for social justice,” he said.

The expungement bill, S-3205, would reform the process for the expungement of criminal records. The measure passed both houses of the Legislature last month and it's awaiting Murphy's signature.

The legislation would establish a “clean slate” expungement which would allow someone ineligible under the new provisions to apply. The individual would be eligible 10 years from the date they were released, completed probation or completed parole or whichever came last.

Read more: 9 Changes To Expand Marijuana Access In NJ As Legalization Stalls