New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has doubled down on a campaign promise to legalize recreational marijuana, announcing during his inaugural budget address Tuesday his intention to follow through in 2018 as part of a plan to potentially reap upwards of $60 million in annual tax revenue.
“We must recommit to opening the doors to economic opportunity for the thousands of young men and women — especially young men and women of color — jailed for nonviolent drug-related offenses,” the Democratic governor said during his address in Trenton, one of his first since taking the reins from Chris Christie, a Republican who adamantly opposed marijuana legalization during his eight years in office.
“Our current system has failed them and put a mark on them that they will carry for the rest of their lies, preventing them from furthering their education or getting jobs,” Mr. Murphy said. “It is the principal reason I advocate for legalizing adult-use marijuana.”
The governor said New Jersey currently spends upwards of $140 million a year adjudicating low-level marijuana offenses, and that marijuana-related arrest rates within the state disproportionately affect blacks by a rate of three-to-one.
New Jersey is already one of 29 states with medical marijuana laws in place, though several members of its Democratic-controlled legislature have proposed decriminalizing possession of small amounts of the plant in lieu of pursuing outright legalization like in the nine states with recreational, or “adult-use,” marijuana laws currently exist.
“I greatly respect those in this chamber who have proposed decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, and I thank them for recognizing the importance of doing what’s right and just for those who carry criminal records for past possession arrests,” Mr. Murphy said during his address Tuesday. “But decriminalization alone will not put the corner dealer out of business, it will not help us protect our kids, and it will not end the racial disparities we see.
“If these are our goals — as they must be — then the only sensible option is the careful legalization, regulation and taxation of marijuana sales to adults,” he said. “I am committed to working with you to get this passed this year.”
Recreational and medical marijuana sales could net New Jersey upwards of $60 million in annual tax revenue assuming the state legalizes commercial cannabis and imposes a 25 percent excise tax and sales tax by Jan. 1, 2019, according to the governor’s budget proposal unveiled Tuesday.
Despite the governor’s commitment towards legalization, fellow Democrats remain on the fence. When surveyed last month by NY Advance Media, only five out of 40 members of the state Senate said they would vote to legalize marijuana, falling well short of the number needed to advance any proposal into the 80-member state Assembly.
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney favors the governor’s proposal, but state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin remains undecided, NJ Advance Media reported Tuesday.
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. Nonetheless, eight states and D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana since 2012, and six of those have passed laws regulating retail sales.
Only one state so far — Vermont — has legalized recreational marijuana through its legislative body rather than a ballot referendum.
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