Urge your state lawmakers to support reduced penalties for cannabis.

Good news! On Monday, the Assembly Community and Development Affairs Committee advanced a decriminalization bill in a 4-0 vote, with two abstentions. You can check out a summary of the substituted bill that advanced here.

While the bill is a step in the right direction, it has some critical shortcomings that need to be fixed. It does not decriminalize or legalize possession of marijuana-related paraphernalia, being under the influence of cannabis, or failing to hand over cannabis to law enforcement. Individuals could still be arrested and incarcerated for any of those offenses! The bill is scheduled for a critical floor vote tomorrow, Thursday, June 18.

There’s no time to waste: Ask your assembly members to work to amend, and then advance, the bill NOW.

Just last week in the state Senate, Sen. Teresa Ruiz, along with cosponsor Sen. Ronald Rice, filed S.2535 — a sweeping proposal that would decriminalize up to one pound of marijuana. S.2535 includes provisions to eliminate law enforcement’s ability to detain or arrest someone based on the smell or odor of marijuana and prevents discrimination for past convictions in housing and public accommodations. You can read full summary of the Senate bill here. Give your state senator a call to urge them to support S.2535 and to urge leadership to bring it to a vote.

It’s our hope that the Assembly bill will be amended to include necessary provisions from S.2535 before a full vote. Although the Capitol remains closed to the public, you can still make your voice heard by contacting your legislators and urging them amend A.1897.

MPP strongly believes marijuana should be legal, not just decriminalized, for all adults. But decriminalization is a vital interim step: It would prevent thousands of traumatic arrests between now and when the November legalization ballot measure would take effect.

After you raise your voice, please spread the word to other New Jerseyans.

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Ask your state lawmakers to support reduced penalties for cannabis possession.

Good news! Last week, Sen. Teresa Ruiz, along with cosponsor Sen. Ronald Rice, filed a sweeping decriminalization bill. If passed, the bill would dramatically reduce penalties for distribution and possession charges, prohibit discrimination for past convictions, and automatically expunge marijuana records. You can check out a full summary here.

Please email your state senator and assemblymember today to ask them to support decriminalization.

Earlier this year, separate decriminalization bills were filed in both the Assembly and the Senate. In January, A.1897, sponsored by Assemblyman Jamal Holley and Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly, was referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee, and in March, S. 2101, sponsored by Sen. Ronald Rice, was introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Both efforts stalled due to COVID, but in the wake of global protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, there seems to be renewed optimism for passage ahead of New Jersey’s ballot initiative this fall.

A.1897 is scheduled for a public hearing this Monday, June 15 at 10:30 a.m. before the Assembly Community Development and Affairs Committee. A full summary of the bill is available here.

Although the Capitol remains closed to the public, you can still make your voice heard on A. 1897. Click here for details.

To go the extra mile, considering calling your state assemblyperson and senator or making an appeal on Twitter or social media.

After you take action, please spread the word to others so they can also make their voices heard!

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HB 481 won’t receive a committee vote until December, but we’re still working to pass bills to allow home cultivation and enable annulments for past convictions — contact your senator about the annulment bill today!

On Tuesday, New Hampshire’s Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously decided to postpone action on the legalization bill until later this year. Three of the five senators on the committee said they wanted to spend more time working on HB 481 and understanding the details before bringing it to a vote in the full Senate, so it’s clear that this is only a temporary setback. The committee will vote on the bill before the end of 2019, and it will come before the Senate in January 2020.

We are now turning our attention to two critical bills that need our help to get across the finish line. One very important bill, HB 399, would allow people who received misdemeanor possession convictions prior to decriminalization to apply to have their records annulled. It has already passed the House in a voice vote, and it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. However, the committee vote was only 3-2 (Senators Shannon Chandley and Sharon Carson voted no), so victory remains far from certain.

No Granite Stater should have to be burdened with a criminal record for having possessed small amounts of cannabis prior to decriminalization. Please email your state senator today!

Meanwhile, the medical cannabis home cultivation bill will receive a final vote in the House on May 23, and we expect it to pass by an overwhelming margin. After that, it will proceed to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk. Call Gov. Sununu’s office today and urge him to support HB 364!

Please share these important updates with your friends and family!

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