Marijuana

The expungement bill was passed 24-11 by the Senate and 50-15, with six votes to abstain, in the Assembly. It is now on the desk of Gov. Phil Murphy.

The Senate approved medical marijuana expansion 33-4, with five senators who were opposed to the program’s creation in 2010 now supporting its growth.

The 65-5 vote, with six abstentions, pushes the bill one step from Gov. Phil Murphy's desk. Senate approval is expected next week.

A significant expansion of New Jersey’s medical marijuana program was endorsed Monday by committees on both sides of the Legislature and could reach Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk by the end of the month.

Expungement of criminal records advanced easily, but a vote on switching to a civil fine for possession was shelved, revived, then advanced without discussion.

Legislation would remove the fear of federal retaliation for banks that do normal business transactions with legal marijuana businesses.

The state Health Department projects 2 million square feet of cultivation space would be needed to get adult-use recreational marijuana started.

If deleting marijuana convictions is made easier along with legalization, the courts estimate that more than 180,000 people could be newly eligible to apply.

It's not clear when, or if, the Legislature will vote again.

Gov. Phil Murphy, who’s in favor of legal weed, is pulling out all the stops, trying to convince lawmakers who have not made up their mind on the issue to support it.