Gov. Phil Murphy said he remains optimistic that something can be worked out on the recreational cannabis and marijuana decriminalization bills that have been sitting on his desk for weeks after a so-called chaser bill, which was meant to bridge the governor’s and Legislature’s differences, fell apart recently.
The chaser bill that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 7-3 vote on Jan. 7 was removed from both the Senate and Assembly board lists over a proposed amendment by the governor to impose civil penalties for underage users of cannabis.