Marijuana Legalization Measure Introduced in New Jersey

Saying smoking marijuana should be as accessible to adults as drinking a beer, state Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) today introduced what is sure to be an ambitious bill that would legalize the sale and possession of pot — and even allow people to grow their own.

 

The agency that policies alcohol beverage sales and enforcement would be retooled as the Division of Alcoholic Beverage and Marijuana Control to police the law, if enacted, Scutari said.

 

Scutari, Linden's prosecutor who says he has never tried marijuana, brushed aside concerns that Gov. Chris Christie has firmly stated he will never sign a pot legalization bill if it ever made it to his desk.

 

"He's not going to be the governor forever," he said. The governor is "a man of facts" and when he sees the revenue possibilities and the savings in halting the enforcement of failed marijuana laws, he may change his mind, Scutari said.