Hearings Set for Marijuana Bill in New Jersey

Local municipalities will have the option of levying a 2 percent tax on weed sales for their own coffers, in addition to a 12 percent state tax on cannabis sales, under a long-awaited bill to make the drug legal for recreational use in the Garden State.

That and other components of the proposed bill—sponsored by Sen. Nicholas Scutari and Sen. President Stephen Sweeney—are all open for debate Monday in a joint meeting of the Senate and Assembly budget and appropriations committees in Trenton.

The bill lets local municipalities decide how many pot shops can operate within their borders—or ban them altogether. Some legislators, and Gov. Phil Murphy, say legalizing weed will bring millions of dollars to the state, but opponents say it will also cost, too—in traffic accidents, and the quality of life. [Read more at WNYC]