Phil Murphy Could Soon Take First Steps To Legalize Pot, Ban Cigs

Gov. Phil Murphy could soon take the first steps toward legalizing marijuana in New Jersey, and at least one bill is being considered by lawmakers to help make his signature campaign promise happen.

At the same, Murphy could also approve a ban on the sale of menthol-flavored cigarettes, which are considered an attractive, tasteful and addictive way of getting people to start smoking.

State Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, has introduced a bill that would legalize the possession and personal use of up to an ounce of marijuana for anyone over the age of 21. The state would also establish a pot sales tax that would help pay for enforcement costs.

The bill has not been approved yet by a Senate committee but Scutari has said he would like to see marijuana legalized by the spring.

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Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, however, could help pave the way for marijuana legalization.

A bill sponsored by Gusciora that would allow industrial hemp farming and "grow the state’s economy," he said, was advanced by an Assembly committee on Thursday.

Security and control regulations related to the growth and distribution of legal marijuana - which, with hemp, is in the cannabis family - have prevented hemp farming from being legalized.

“More than 20 industrial hemp-producing countries worldwide each generate millions of dollars in revenue selling everything from fabrics to personal care products made from one of the world’s oldest crops,” said Gusciora, D-Mercer and Hunterdon. “Allowing our farmers to grow hemp will be an economic engine for our agribusiness and a way to preserve more farm space in our state.”

The bill, A-1330, establishes an industrial hemp license for planting, growing, harvesting, possessing and selling industrial hemp in the state. The bill also sets up procedures for persons applying to the Secretary of Agriculture for a hemp license.

“This hemp legislation is pivotal to the economic growth of New Jersey agribusiness,” Gusciora said.

At least 15 states enacted legislation in 2017 – Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, North Dakota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Florida and Nevada authorized research or pilot programs.

A majority of New Jerseyans, meanwhile, either support legalizing or decriminalizing recreational marijuana, according to a newly released survey conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University. According to the poll, 42 percent of New Jersey residents 18 and older approve of legalizing recreational marijuana use and sales when given a choice.

New Jersey also would be the first state in the nation to ban sales of menthol cigarettes under a bill approved by the Assembly health committee this week. The legislation would extend existing state and federal prohibitions to include menthol-flavored cigarettes.

Assemblyman Herb Conaway, D-Burlington, has expressed concern about how the state needs to drive down smoking rates, particularly in minority communities, and menthol cigarettes are considered a "gateway." About 13.5 percent of adults and 8.2 percent of youth smoked in 2015, according to NJ Spotlight.

Conaway has also pushed for legislation to license electronic smoking retailers and manufacturers in New Jersey in order to better monitor the industry and crackdown on sales to minors.

“As it stands now, electronic cigarettes retailers and manufactures are not licensed like traditional tobacco shops so we essentially have no mechanism to ensure they are abiding by state laws,” said Conaway.

The menthol cigarette measure, however, has raised concerns from business groups who are worried about the impact on retailers, who could lose tens of millions of dollars in annual sales revenue. It could also reduce tobacco tax revenue for the state, which NJ Spotlight says could total some $695 million a year.

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