Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Can New Jersey Get Out of Its Own Way? Legalization Efforts Hit Another Snag
Back in November, New Jersey residents voted to approve a constitutional amendment legalizing the use of recreational cannabis for adults 21 and over. That amendment took effect January 1, 2021, which was supposed to mark a new era in New Jersey. But that did not happen.
Read MoreElection 2020: Cannabis Wins Big Again
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the only consistent thing in the past few American elections has been support for cannabis legalization. Democrats, Republicans, and independents in red, blue, and purple states all seem ready to decriminalize and legalize cannabis. 2020 was no different; voters approved cannabis legalization measures in every state offering them on the ballot.
Read MoreWill We See a Record Number of States Legalize Marijuana in 2021? One Expert Thinks So
It is hard to underestimate the impact that the coronavirus and its related fallout—economic and otherwise—will have on the cannabis industry. Some of that impact will be decidedly negative. For instance, as we wrote about recently, cash is harder to come by for cannabis companies right now.
Read MoreNew Jersey Continues to be an Epicenter of Marijuana-Related Employment Issues
In November, we wrote about a lawsuit filed against Amazon by a New Jersey man claiming he was wrongfully terminated due to a failed marijuana drug test despite being a patient in the state’s medical marijuana program. Now, New Jersey state lawmakers have advanced a bill that would require workers’ compensation to cover medical marijuana.
Read MoreCannabis Reform Continues in New Jersey, Including “Clean Slate Expungement” Program
New Jersey is often mentioned among the states that may legalize recreational marijuana in 2020. And for good reason. The state has taken several steps over the past year to reform its cannabis laws, including creating the New Jersey Industrial Hemp Pilot Program and overhauling its medical marijuana program to address supply problems, relax quantity restrictions, permit home delivery, and add workplace protections for card holders.
Read MoreAmazon the Latest to Face Discrimination Suit Over Medical Marijuana in the Workplace
The majority of U.S. states have legalized medical marijuana. Yet many of those same states do not have laws on the books regarding testing for marijuana in the workplace, and in the absence of such laws, many companies continue to test employees for marijuana and take adverse action based on positive tests.
Read MoreUnintended Consequences; Marijuana Compact Amongst Northeastern States May Actually Slow Legalization
In September, many in the marijuana industry were buoyed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s efforts to coordinate with his counterparts in New Jersey (Phil Murphy) and Connecticut (Ned Lamont) on recreational marijuana legalization.
Read MoreThe Marijuana Job Market Is Lit
The cannabis-related job market continues to expand according to a PoliticoPro report (subscription required) that analyzed data from Indeed.com, an employment search engine. In May 2016, cannabis job postings accounted for 231 per million total job postings. By May 2019, that number has increased nearly four-fold to 915 postings per million.
Read MoreCould the Dominos Fall the Other Way in 2020? Governor Cuomo Seeks Cannabis Cooperation Amongst New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut
Earlier this year, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut failed to pass legislation for legalized recreational marijuana despite what appeared to be overwhelming support for such measures. As we discussed here, early optimism gave way to legislative frustration as representatives struggled to put together bills sufficient to garner enough votes.
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