New Jersey Prosecutors Told to ‘Seek Adjournment’ for Low-Level Cannabis Cases

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal last week directed all prosecutors to hold off on trying low-level cannabis crimes as lawmakers work on the language of a legalization measure, the Philadelphia Inquirerreports.

“All New Jersey municipal, county, and state prosecutors are instructed to seek an adjournment, until at least Jan. 25, 2021. … “Fairness and justice require that we, as prosecutors, not move forward with charges that the Legislature may foreclose in the near future. We will provide more comprehensive guidance, including direction on handling of previously adjudicated matters, when the Legislature provides details of the framework for marijuana decriminalization and the legalization of adult-use cannabis.” – Grewal in the guidance via the Inquirer

The guidance does not include driving under the influence and stops short of prohibiting arrests. In a statement following voters’ approval of the measure on Election Day, Grewal indicated that “all of the State’s criminal laws relating to marijuana continue to apply, until, among other things, the Legislature enacts a law creating that regulatory framework.”
Read More