New Jersey cancels vote on legalizing recreational cannabis due to lack of support

New Jersey came close to legalizing recreational cannabis yesterday, but the vote was cancelled due to a lack of support from legislators. Indeed, after months of negotiations on the content of the law (taxes, appointment of the commission's governing board, etc.), there was little time left to rally the votes needed for its approval by parliamentarians. There was therefore a risk that the bill would be rejected by a very narrow margin. To avoid this, the vote was simply cancelled.

Close to the goal

A few days earlier, the governor had pointed out that he was 3 votes short in the General Assembly and 6 votes short in the Senate. According to Marijuana Moment, But it was mainly the senators who were reluctant. The proposed law would have legalized the possession, consumption and trade of recreational cannabis by licensed establishments. It also included social justice elements encouraging industry participation by individuals and communities most affected by the war on drugs. In addition, it provided for the expungement of the criminal records of individuals arrested for possession (<2.3 kg) and consumption of cannabis.

«History is rarely made on the first try,» lamented Governor Phil Murphy at a press conference. «I am certainly disappointed, but we are not conceding defeat... We all remain committed to the success of this proposal and to establishing our state as a national model of justice and opportunity because, ultimately, this is the right thing to do for New Jersey and the people of New Jersey are on our side.» Indeed, according to a recent survey, 62% of New Jersey residents are in favor of legalization.