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N.J. Bills would Treat Legal Marijuana Like Tobacco, Alcohol Source from: Philly.com 09/29/2016 ![]() In New Jersey, legal marijuana could be treated a lot like tobacco or alcohol, depending on the which bill, if any, passes both houses of the Legislature and overcomes a likely veto by Gov. Christie. As NJ.com reports, lawmakers this year have introduced two bills that would legalize cannabis for adult use throughout the state, though they differ on key points like age restriction and records expungement. One bill, A4193, introduced last week by Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris) would legalize marijuana in a similar fashion to tobacco, making it available for sale to adults aged 19 and older (the legal age for tobacco purchases in New Jersey) in places like convenience stores. It additionally would provide records expungement for some marijuana offenses. "To me, it's just not a big deal. It's already ubiquitous. Anybody who thinks this is somehow going to increase the availability of marijuana has never been 19," Carroll said in a recent interview with Politico. "If that’s the case, then what's the big deal about having it available at the local 7-Eleven?" Carroll is also a lead sponsor of bill A2050, which would decriminalize marijuana possession in New Jersey for up to 15 grams. That bill would impose $100 fines for first offenses, $200 fines for second offenses, and $500 fines for third offenses and beyond. Meanwhile, a second legalization bill, A2068, reintroduced earlier this year by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) would regulate marijuana like alcohol. That bill would allow adults aged 21 and older to purchase marijuana, and possess up to one ounce. Adults would also be able to cultivate up to six marijuana plants, with three in the mature, flowering stage. The bill does not provide a framework for the expungement of marijuana offenses. In June, Gusciora also resurfaced a bill that sought to legalize marijuana in Atlantic City as a way to save the economically ailing casino town. That bill also proposes a 21-and-older age restriction, and would have the Attorney General’s office oversee the city's marijuana industry. Gov. Christie is likely to veto any legalization bill that makes it to his desk, as he has said regarding many marijuana-oriented bills in the past. During his presidential run, Christie said he would enforce the federal ban in marijuana, and focus efforts on states where it has been legalized. However, Christie earlier this month signed a bill allowing for the use of medical marijuana to treat PTSD. "We would like to get the ball rolling, even with this governor and even if he vetoes it, the choice then could be made to put it on the ballot through the Legislature or set the groundwork for the next administration," Gusciora told Politico last week. "I think it's only a matter of time." New Jersey, of course, is not the only state mulling over marijuana legalization. This November, five states — Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada — will vote on legal adult use. Florida, Arkansas, and North Dakota, meanwhile, will vote on medical marijuana measures. Marijuana is currently legal for adult recreational use in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state, and Washington, D.C. In 2015, tax revenue from legal marijuana sales in Colorado alone — both recreational and medical — topped $135 million, about $35 million of which went to the state's schools. Enditem |