NJ Marijuana Updates: A First Step Toward Legal Weed Sales

NEW JERSEY — The Cannabis Regulatory Commission met on Monday, officially setting the state on a path toward legal marijuana sales.

Gov. Phil Murphy filed appointments for all five members of the board as of last week. Those five people are tasked with regulating both the medical and recreational cannabis industries in the state.

The commission is led by Dianna Houenou, who will serve as the commission chair. Other members include Charles Barker, Maria Del Cid, Krista Nash and Sam Delgado. Jeff Brown, who oversees the state's medical marijuana program, will serve as executive director. (More on the members below.)

"I am excited to embark on this critical effort with Commissioners Barker, Del Cid, Delgado, and Nash, and our dedicated Executive Director Brown to continue expanding the medical cannabis program and build a new adult-use cannabis marketplace in New Jersey," said Houenou. "This will be the first meeting of many as we put the values of equity and safety into practice in regulating this new industry."

The commission has major responsibilities within the new industry. Licenses will be awarded through the commission, and the five members will have the authority to establish rules and regulations that marijuana business owners will follow across the state.

However, they don't have absolute power. Local decision makers are already declaring bans on marijuana businesses, and more towns could soon follow suit.

So who are the members of the commission, how did the appointments come about, and what were the key points of the first meeting?

A Brief History

The commission got off to a rocky start.

The NAACP called out the governor's office for failing to include a Black man on the commission, and NJ.com reported that the NAACP also threatened to sue because the commission didn't meet all the requirements set forth in the legalization bill.

Eventually, Murphy replaced an original selection with Barker, who has served in Sen. Cory Booker's administration since 2017.

"I am sincerely disappointed that the NAACP had to go to such lengths to ensure that the Marijuana Legalization Law was followed and that this commission was reflective of the communities most harmed by this failed war on drugs," said Richard T. Smith, president of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference.

Barker was the latest addition to the commission, with Del Cid and Delgado appointed in February. Nash and Houenou were appointed to the commission in November 2020.

Houenou currently serves as a senior policy advisor and associate counsel to Murphy.

"Dianna has been a critical voice for social justice and equity on my team for the past year and a half after spending several years working on the fight to legalize marijuana with the ACLU," said Murphy. "Her commitment to doing what is right and to leaving no one behind has powered our criminal justice reform agenda, and I am immensely proud that she will be continuing that commitment as Chair of the Cannabis Regulatory Commission."

Del Cid currently serves as the director of policy and legislative services at the New Jersey Department of Health, where she serves as a liaison with the governor’s office and to the legislature. Delgado most recently served as vice president of external affairs for Verizon, before retiring in 2019.

Nash currently serves as the program director of the PROMISE program at Volunteers of America Delaware Valley. She previously served as a mentor at Oaks Integrate Care and Transitions for Youth, the Governor's Office said.

Municipal Bans

Brown addressed municipalities across the state Monday, asking them to pump the brakes on making decisions until they speak with the commission. He also added that the commission has an open door.

Brown listed municipal bans as a challenge the commission is facing. It doesn't completely stall out progress, but it does limit the opportunities for businesses across New Jersey.

In his plea to towns, Brown pointed out that even a ban on business is only that.

"A municipal ban doesn't necessarily ban cannabis from that municipality, it just bans our ability to regulate an industry there," he said.

Alas, there are already communities who've been clear that they have no interest in having the cannabis industry.

Wayne's Township Council approved a municipal ban by a vote of 8-1, and at least one council member said, as far as he was concerned, the conversation is over.

"You can tell me anything you want about your research and your statistics, but I've seen it," said council member Joseph Scuralli.

Bans have also been issued in Glen Rock and Ocean City, while many other local officials are poised to discuss the matter.

When New Jersey legalized marijuana in February, a stipulation of the new law allows municipalities to consider banning marijuana businesses, but doesn't allow them to use old ordinances to do so. So towns across the state have 180 days from Feb. 22 to draft new ones.

NJ.com found more than 70 towns with old ordinances that will need to be drafted again, or at least reconsidered.

These ordinances can't restrict the use of medical marijuana in the township, and it cannot limit the use of recreational marijuana, or marijuana delivery, under the new law. Read more: Marijuana Is Legal In NJ. But Can Towns Still Ban It?

New York-New Jersey Collaboration

Though some may see New York's recent marijuana legalization efforts as competition, Brown said he looked forward to collaborating with New York and Pennsylvania officials as all three navigate marijuana's new frontier.

Collaboration with Pennsylvania, of course, is still a future proposition when it comes to recreational marijuana, as the state has yet to pass an adult-use legalization bill.

New York became the 15th state to legalize marijuana after Gov. Andrew Cuomo — currently under fire for a number of reasons — signed the bill into law on March 31.

"This is a historic day in New York - one that rights the wrongs of the past by putting an end to harsh prison sentences, embraces an industry that will grow the Empire State's economy, and prioritizes marginalized communities so those that have suffered the most will be the first to reap the benefits," he said.

Keep up to date with what's happening in your community by subscribing to your local Patch newsletter here.