Among the items being debated as Gov. Phil Murphy pushes to legalize and tax marijuana is whether or not New Jersey residents will be able to grow their own pot, and if so, how much.
The Asbury Park Press has reported on two legalization bills being considered by the legislature. One would allow residents to grow up to six cannabis plants at home, as long as only three are mature and flowering. One plant can produce about six pounds of pot.
But a bill introduced in the Senate last year doesn’t contain any provisions for home growing.
Bill sponsor Nick Scutari said homegrowing would just raise too many questions, could stifle growth of a legal marijuana industry in the state and could result in people selling their own, untaxed produce.
Of the eight states and the District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana, only Washington bans residents from growing their own. The rest place restrictions on where people can grow pot and purchase seeds, which can range in price from $15 to more than $100, according to the Asbury Park Press report.
As the state’s legalization efforts inch forward, some professionals are stepping forward to offer their services to those who want to get involved. A report in The Record looked at a law firm willing to help those who would like to invest in New Jersey marijuana operations once they are legalized, despite U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ opposition to loosening drug laws. While there are rewards for those who get in on the ground floor of marijuana operations, the story also points out that such involvement is not without its serious risks.
“If you need to sleep real well every night, this is not the field for you,” Sam Kamin, a professor of marijuana policy law at the University of Denver, said in the newspaper’s report.
Quote of the Day: “People think cannabis will be the cool industry with all the cool people. Instead, it’s every boring profession you could possibly think of. It’s lawyers, accountants, tax people, insurance people. It’s people in suits who do a job that is not considered super interesting.” — Chris Davis, executive director of the National Cannabis Bar Association.
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