NJ Cannabis Insider’s Post

The Senate President wants to curb cannabis regulators' power and doesn't agree with their fining of companies. Nick Scutari, D-Union, has mulled pushing a bill to revamp parts of the commission — including possibly making it part-time — during the state Legislature’s current lame-duck session, according to two legislative sources with direct knowledge of the situation who were granted anonymity to speak candidly about the issue. This comes as commission members have sometimes acted against the recommendation of CRC Executive Director Jeff Brown when favoring fines. In some of those cases it cited recommendations from agency investigators. The commission can choose the viewpoint of front line personnel over higher ranking leaders such as Brown in making decisions. Scutari’s dissatisfaction with the commission comes after state Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, proposed the idea of abolishing the commission several months ago. That suggestion has the support of some of the companies the commission is fining. ACLU Policy Director Sarah Fajardo said the group opposes any effort to weaken the commission. “We’re here to push back against that,” she said Thursday as a coalition of groups rallied outside the Statehouse to urge lawmakers to pass social justice bills. “We need the CRC, we need all of the oversight to make sure that cannabis legalization actually reaches the folks who have been penalized and criminalized for years.”