New Jersey is unlikely to allow its marijuana users or medical marijuana patients to grow their own cannabis plants at home, the new president of the state Senate said this month.
State Sen. Nick Scutari, D-Union, was the main proponent of New Jersey marijuana legalization in the state Senate and was elected by his colleagues as the body’s president this year. But speaking to a virtual webinar of cannabis industry entrepreneurs and experts, he said he “did not see (home grow) happening right now,” repeated a common refrain that allowing “home grow” would only contribute to the black market and hold back the legal industry from taking off.
“I’m not against marijuana being grown at home for medical purposes and maybe even just recreational purposes,” Scutari said at the event, hosted by the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, a trade group for the cannabis industry.
“But we’ve got to let this industry … it’s not even off the ground yet.”
What’s the hold up?
The push to legalize home grow has largely been led by patient advocates in the state’s medical marijuana program, who argue that allowing a limited number of marijuana plants would help patients avoid the exorbitant costs charged by legal medical marijuana dispensaries — and keeps them from turning to the black market.
“This would be a tremendous help for patients,” said Jo Anne Zito, who sits on the board for the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey, which has been the biggest group pushing for home grow.
“It doesn’t seem like the sky has fallen in these other places.
“Yeah, some of it may get to the illicit market but I don’t think it’s anything that’s hurting revenue or setting back legal sales.”
“It’s about us!”
New Jersey, Illinois and Washington are the only states that specifically prohibit the cultivation of any cannabis plants without a license. But of the 19 states to legalize weed, New Jersey is the only one that still prohibits its medical marijuana patients from growing cannabis at home.
In the Garden State, growing one cannabis plant is still punishable by up to five years in prison and a $25,000 fine — just as it was before two-thirds of voters approved legal weed and Gov. Phil Murphy signed the enabling legislation into law last year.
“Not only is it an issue of personal freedom, but it serves as an important check on the commercial marijuana industry,” said Erik Altieri, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the country’s oldest marijuana legalization advocacy group. “Allowing consumers the ability to grow their own marijuana helps to ensure the industry keeps its products of high quality and fairly priced.”
Selling marijuana
In states with home grow…
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