US: New Jersey Senate president seeks to revamp cannabis law

November 13, 2025

New Jersey’s cannabis industry would see a host of changes under a new bill from Senate President Nicholas Scutari. The measure would allow some medical marijuana dispensaries to sell adult-use cannabis without getting an OK from local leaders, loosen ethics requirements for state cannabis regulators, and strip the governor of the power to name the chair of the state panel that regulates the industry.

Scutari (D-Union) has proposed some of this before, in a bill he introduced in January that never advanced in the Senate. Scutari, who is a major supporter of legalized cannabis, did not return a request for comment on the new bill.

One of the major changes in the new measure, introduced last week, would allow medical marijuana dispensaries to apply for a license to sell adult-use cannabis without municipal approval. The bill would allow this even in towns that have banned adult-use dispensaries.

When New Jersey legalized cannabis, it allowed towns to opt out of the adult-use marijuana industry, and about 70% of them did. Some limit sales to medical cannabis only.

Read more at New Jersey Monitor