In the wake of New Jersey voters approving a measure to legalize recreational marijuana, Senator Ronald L. Rice of the 28th Legislative District has sent a letter to NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney and Nicholas Scutari, President of the Senate Judiciary Committee, requesting the Senate hear a bill to reform criminal and civil justice penalties related to marijuana offenses.
“As you know there has been much harm done to people of color in particular, and New Jersey residents in general by not passing a decriminalization bill over the last 2 years plus,” Rice wrote in the letter (see the full letter below).
S2535 addresses criminal and civil justice reforms in regard to the legal consequences associated with marijuana offenses. Specifically, it “provides for certain criminal and civil justice reforms, particularly addressing legal consequences associated with certain marijuana and hashish offenses as well as raising awareness of available expungement relief.”
See the full bill below.
Over the years, leaders in Maplewood and South Orange have both expressed support for the decriminalization of marijuana and associated criminal justice reforms, including the release of people convicted of marijuana-related offenses.
