N.J. lawmakers advance measures to immediately legalize possession

Ask your state senator to support S.2535/ A.1897.

Good news! Yesterday, the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee approved S.2535/ A.1897. The combined bills would legalize possession of up to six ounces of cannabis! The measure was approved with an 11-0 vote, with one abstention.

The bills now await a floor vote in the Senate.

Please email your state senator today to ask them to support this important step to implement the voter-enacted legalization initiative.

The amended bills would legalize possession for adults of up to six ounces of marijuana, or up to 170 grams of hashish. Distribution of up to one ounce of cannabis or five grams of hash would carry a civil penalty of $50.

Additionally, prosecutors would be allowed more discretion to dismiss some pending cannabis cases under the proposed amendments — specifically, pending cases for distribution of just under five pounds of marijuana.

Also in a surprise move, the amendments would also reduce the penalty for possession of one ounce or less of psilocybin mushrooms to a disorderly persons offense punishable by a $500 fine and potential jail time.

Finally, in other news, Senate and Assembly budget committees have delayed consideration of bills to implement the legal, regulated cannabis market — A. 21 and S. 21. As Assembly Appropriations Committee Chairman John Burzichelli (D) said, “Negotiations and fine tuning are still underway on that topic.”

After you take action, please spread the word to others so we can put an end to criminalizing cannabis consumers in New Jersey across the finish line.