This week’s update highlights important legislative advancements in Illinois, Utah, South Dakota, and Kentucky, focuses on upcoming hearings, and provides updates on several other important bills moving forward across the country.
Tag: New Jersey
Retail Licensing Delays and Emerging Social Equity Concerns in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut
As more states transition from marijuana criminalization to a regulated retail marketplace, struggles over the structure of retail sales markets have become a foremost concern. Inabilities in establishing and enacting clear and timely regulations regarding the application and acceptance process for business licenses have caused significant delays in the actualization of retail markets in many states.
Only 23 medical cannabis facilities are currently operating in the state. Under the state’s medical marijuana law, patients are not permitted to home-cultivate cannabis.
New Jersey courts have either dismissed or vacated an estimated 362,000 marijuana cases since July 1 and an additional 150,000 New Jersey residents may also be eligible to have their marijuana-related records automatically expunged in the near future.
“These moratoriums only serve to protect and prolong the illicit cannabis marketplace. Time and time again, we have seen that consumers prefer to obtain cannabis products from safe, licensed, above-ground retailers. But, absent access to such facilities, the illicit market will continue to fill this void.”
These are the first of up to 360,000 cases and convictions that are eligible for vacation, dismissal and automatic expungement.
“Despite nearly seven in ten New Jersey residents voting in favor of legalization on Election Day, it took lawmakers 111 days following that vote to achieve consensus to enact enabling legislation into law.”
The measure imposes a civil penalty of $50 for those ages 18-20 caught in possession of up to one ounce, and $100 for more than one ounce of marijuana.