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Making good on a promise he announced in January, a Union County state senator is expected to introduce legislation Monday that will make the case for legalizing and taxing marijuana in New Jersey. Sen. Nicholas Scutari, (D-Union), a municipal prosecutor who sponsored the medical marijuana law, will hold a press conference at the Statehouse Monday afternoon to discuss how the legislation would work. Scutari said he envisioned a system similar to the state's medical marijuana laws in that facilities would have to be licensed to grow and sell pot. Scutari has said he intended to model the bill after Colorado, which netted $2 million in sales tax for the first month of marijuana sales in January. But revenue is not the most important impetus for the change, Scutari said, declaring the war on marijuana a "failure." Changing the law would dry up the illegal drug market and clean up neighborhood street corners, he said.
"We're not delusional about how simple the effort would be," Scutari said. "But I think from a standpoint of moving this state and this country forward on its archaic drug laws, I think it's a step in the right direction." The bill's prospects of getting signed into law are slim to none as long as Gov. Chris Christie is in office. The Republican former prosecutor has repeatedly said he would never sign legislation that legalizes or even decriminalizes marijuana possession because of the message it would send to kids. Even Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has said he is in no rush to push the measure through the legislature.
"I'm open to the idea, but we've got to look at what's going on in the states," Sweeney told The Star-Ledger Editorial Board in January. "I am not a big believer in re-creating the wheel." "I'm open to listening to Nick Scutari's suggestions on this," Sweeney said, praising Scutari for having "the courage to talk about marijuana. He is positioning New Jersey" to act on the matter when a new governor is elected.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Nj.com
Author: Susan K. Livio
Contact: Contact Us - NJ.com
Website: NJ senator to introduce marijuana legalization bill Monday | NJ.com
"We're not delusional about how simple the effort would be," Scutari said. "But I think from a standpoint of moving this state and this country forward on its archaic drug laws, I think it's a step in the right direction." The bill's prospects of getting signed into law are slim to none as long as Gov. Chris Christie is in office. The Republican former prosecutor has repeatedly said he would never sign legislation that legalizes or even decriminalizes marijuana possession because of the message it would send to kids. Even Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has said he is in no rush to push the measure through the legislature.
"I'm open to the idea, but we've got to look at what's going on in the states," Sweeney told The Star-Ledger Editorial Board in January. "I am not a big believer in re-creating the wheel." "I'm open to listening to Nick Scutari's suggestions on this," Sweeney said, praising Scutari for having "the courage to talk about marijuana. He is positioning New Jersey" to act on the matter when a new governor is elected.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Nj.com
Author: Susan K. Livio
Contact: Contact Us - NJ.com
Website: NJ senator to introduce marijuana legalization bill Monday | NJ.com
