May 15, 2019 - 2:00 PM
TRENTON, N.J. - The Latest on New Jersey's plans to ask voters to decide next year on whether recreational marijuana should be legalized (all times local):
4:45 p.m.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says he's open to new legislation on medical marijuana expansion and criminal records expungement after legal recreational marijuana failed to get enough legislative support this spring.
Murphy made his comments Wednesday, hours after state Senate President Steve Sweeney said voters would be asked to decide next year if recreational use of marijuana should be legalized.
Sweeney said legislators will move forward with related measures that would expand the state's medical marijuana program and expunge the criminal records of people with convictions for possessing pot.
Murphy said he'll need to see more details on what form any expungement legislation would take.
The Democratic governor did not comment directly on Sweeney's announcement that recreational marijuana would go to voters to decide.
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12:10 p.m.
New Jersey's state Senate president says voters will be asked to decide next year if recreational use of marijuana should be legalized.
Steve Sweeney made the announcement Wednesday. The Democrat also says lawmakers will move forward with related measures that would expand the state's medical marijuana program and expunge the criminal records of people with convictions for possessing pot.
Legalizing recreational marijuana was a campaign promise of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, but he and Sweeney have been unable to muster enough support from fellow Democrats to pass the measure.
A measure to legalize recreational weed for those 21 and over while also allowing marijuana-related convictions to be wiped clean failed to get enough support in March.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019