Dozens of cannabusiness licence holders and ancillary businesses in New Jersey have put their names to an open letter calling on home medical cannabis grows to be legalized in the state.
The potential for home cultivation in New Jersey is in limbo, with lawmakers wanting to give the state’s legal cannabis industry “time to mature.” But in a letter to Senator Nicholas Scutari, who is Senate President, it appears there is plenty of support from industry to allow home grows.
“The legalization of medical home cultivation will not negatively impact the legal state cannabis industry,” states the letter. “We firmly support the immediate legalization of medical home cultivation for patients and caregivers.”
Furthermore, the signatories also support legislation to be introduced allowing for legalization of personal use home cultivation.
Unlike home grow schemes in other states that set limits on the number of plants, the letter supports allowing up to 100 square feet of mature cannabis plant grow canopy area. This, it says, would enable patients and caregivers the ability to properly “pheno-hunt”* and cultivate quantities meeting individual needs.
The letter notes that in some states, home-grown plants have reached over 16 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Some of these plants have a canopy area of over 100 square feet; with yields of more than 5 pounds for a single plant.
The letter is timely given New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reportedly wants to boost the social equity excise fee (SEEF) on cannabis, and in a big way. The tax, paid by cannabis cultivators, would jump from $2.50 to $15 an ounce; just months after it was basically doubled by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
While SEEF doesn’t apply to medical marijuana, according to the New Jersey Monitor Senator Scutari doesn’t want to see it raised again – for now. New Jersey cannabis prices are among the highest in the USA and the senator said it’s cheaper to buy cannabis illegally than through legal channels, and increasing the tax would only encourage more illicit activity.
Revenue from SEEF, in the millions of dollars, has so far been left unspent. It is earmarked for funding programs supporting those who have been disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of cannabis; and programs to divert youth from cannabis.
H/T: hempgazette.com
You can view the whole article at this link Another Push For Home Cannabis Cultivation In New Jersey
