New Jersey Becomes 14th State to Legalize Recreational Cannabis | Cozen O’ConnorPosted by On

On Monday February 23, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed three bills into law that establish a recreational cannabis program in New Jersey for adults who are at least 21 years old.

A21 (The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act) legalized recreational cannabis for use by adults who are 21 years old and older and authorizes its regulation. A separate bill, A1897, decriminalizes the possession of cannabis and hashish. A third bill, S3454, provides for penalties for minors younger than 21 years old who use or possess cannabis.

New Jersey’s recreational cannabis program will establish a licensing system with six classes of licenses to cultivate and distribute recreational cannabis. It will be regulated by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, the same state agency that oversees its medicinal cannabis program. At least 70 percent of the tax revenues from cannabis sales will be allocated to impact zones, which are primarily minority communities in New Jersey that have been disproportionately affected by the criminalization of cannabis. By legalizing recreational cannabis and creating less stringent consequences for minors caught with cannabis, the legislature hopes to reduce the number of arrests among people of color and minorities for cannabis-related crimes, which will free up resources to pursue more serious criminal activity and divert funds from cannabis going to illegal enterprises.

This legislation was initiated…

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On Monday February 23, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed three bills into law that establish a recreational cannabis program in New Jersey for adults who are at least 21 years old.

A21 (The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act) legalized recreational cannabis for use by adults who are 21 years old and older and authorizes its regulation. A separate bill, A1897, decriminalizes the possession of cannabis and hashish. A third bill, S3454, provides for penalties for minors younger than 21 years old who use or possess cannabis.

New Jersey’s recreational cannabis program will establish a licensing system with six classes of licenses to cultivate and distribute recreational cannabis. It will be regulated by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, the same state agency that oversees its medicinal cannabis program. At least 70 percent of the tax revenues from cannabis sales will be allocated to impact zones, which are primarily minority communities in New Jersey that have been disproportionately affected by the criminalization of cannabis. By legalizing recreational cannabis and creating less stringent consequences for minors caught with cannabis, the legislature hopes to reduce the number of arrests among people of color and minorities for cannabis-related crimes, which will free up resources to pursue more serious criminal activity and divert funds from cannabis going to illegal enterprises.

This legislation was initiated…



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