Lawmakers Call Off Big Vote to Legalize Marijuana in New Jersey
Citing “not enough votes secured”, leaders of the state Legislature have canceled a planned vote Monday on a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older in New Jersey.
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney said, “While we are all disappointed that we did not secure enough votes to ensure legislative approval of the adult use cannabis bill today, we made substantial progress on a plan that would make significant changes in social policy.”
So what does this mean? Simply put, there won’t be another vote scheduled to legalize marijuana in New Jersey until at least after the November elections. Lawmakers said they wouldn’t hold the vote if they weren’t guaranteed to have both the 21 votes they need in the state Senate and the 41 they need in the state Assembly. According to sources, as of Monday afternoon there were only 17 or 18 members of the Senate who would vote yes, leaving them short of the necessary votes to pass legislation.
If they can’t get enough votes by then, it’s possible leaders could opt for asking New Jersey voters to decide in a ballot referendum next year whether to legalize weed.
For more, visit NJ.com