A legislative bill that would allow marijuana to be grown for medical and recreational use has been filed in New Jersey’s Senate.
Senate Bill 1985 today was “Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee”. The measure was filed by Senator Vin Gopal along with cosponsors Senators Troy Singleton, Patrick Diegnan, Shirley Turner and Andrew Zwicker.
The proposed law would legalize “growing or possessing up to six marijuana plants for personal recreational use, and up to 10 plants for personal medical use, by persons aged 21 or older.”
Although New Jersey legalized recreational marijuana in 2021, and it legalized medical marijuana in 2010, personal marijuana cultivation has remained illegal for all uses.
In a November interview Governor Phil Murphy was asked about legalizing personal marijuana cultivation, with his response being “I’m very much open-minded to this.”
Murphy said home grow “wasn’t in our initial regs, because I think there’s a rightful objective to get this industry up on its feet and make sure that the folks who are in this as a matter of commerce are successful and, again, with a huge amount of focus on equity.”
Murphy continued: “Social justice is how I got here to begin with, to support it. What we’ve done, by the way, has gone really well. We just haven’t done enough. We’ve just got to do more, get this more proliferated.” Murphy says once the industry is “up on its feet, and it is getting there”, home grow will be “back on the table”.
A separate measure (Senate Bill 1393) that would legalize marijuana cultivation just for qualified patients was also filed today by Senator Troy Singleton with seven bipartisan cosponsors. The measure would allow patients or their caregiver to cultivate up to four mature cannabis plants and up to four immature cannabis plants. Those wanting to grow medical cannabis would be required to give notice to the Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
