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In both his State of the State address and second inaugural speech this month, Gov. Phil Murphy stated he looked forward to the number of jobs the cannabis industry will create in New Jersey.
Those closely following the nascent industry say Murphy’s acknowledgment of the cannabis industry was a sign he’s viewing it as an economic engine in terms of jobs and tax revenue.
On Jan. 18, during Murphy’s second inaugural address to a scaled-down audience at Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, the governor said cannabis was among the business sectors “fueling New Jersey’s innovation economy.”
Specifically, “businesses in the new cannabis industry that we are setting up in the name of social justice.”
Seven days earlier, in his State of the State address, Murphy said of adult-use cannabis: “Many jobs await in the cannabis industry to take off.”
Murphy signed the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act about a year ago, known also as S-21.
Neither the Governor’s Front Office nor the Cannabis Regulatory Commission could provide concrete numbers on total jobs expected. But S-21 prime sponsor and new Senate President Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, said the numbers will be strong and that Murphy’s words in the two high-profile speeches were reassuring.
“I am hopeful this year we see a successful roll out of the legalized cannabis market,” Scutari texted NJ Cannabis Insider.
Others have estimated the new industry has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs, including those in cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and sales, among others.
“It’s great to hear Gov. Murphy’s continued excitement and enthusiasm toward the cannabis experiment,” said attorney Bill Caruso of Archer & Greiner law firm. “He has been a devoted cannabis champion in both improving access for patients, as well as creating new jobs and revenue.”
Caruso, who spearheaded NJ CANN 2020, which campaigned to secure approval of ballot Question 1 during the Nov. 3, 2020 election, said Murphy stuck to his overall theme of New Jersey as the opportunity state for cannabis.
“The governor and his administration are working to ensure there are opportunities for everyone in the emerging cannabis industry — opportunities for large multistate operators and small-craft cannabis entrepreneurs, including and in some cases prioritizing, women, minorities and ex-offenders,” said Caruso. “2022 is shaping up to be a huge year for cannabis in New Jersey.”
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission was set up last year to provide the regulatory framework for the industry, including awarding licenses through a competitive application process that’s underway. The CRC’s next public meeting is Jan. 27. It is scheduled to open applications for dispensary licenses on March 15.
Edmund DeVeaux, president of New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, is thrilled Murphy kept his campaign promises when he first ran for governor in 2017 on a platform that included legalization of cannabis for adult use.
“He never wavered in his support of the state’s cannabis industry once in his first term, even when the Legislature struggled to pass meaningful legalization legislation,” DeVeaux said.
“Now, at the beginning of his second term, Gov. Murphy is reiterating his support of what the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association believes will be, and is working with the state’s cannabis community to achieve: a responsible, sustainable, diverse, and profitable cannabis industry.
“Gov. Murphy knows what we hope (that) most, if not all municipal leadership understands: the regulated cannabis industry can be an economic engine for physical redevelopment, job training, and job creation,” added DeVeaux.
Lynn Nowak, executive vice president at Porzio Governmental Affairs, a subsidiary of law firm Porzio, Bromberg & Newman of Morristown, worked for years on the legalization of adult-use cannabis as an adviser to NJ United for Marijuana Reform, and was a member of the steering committee for NJ CANN 2020.
“While Gov. Murphy always emphasized the racial and social justice reasons for legalizing marijuana, he was also mindful of the economic benefits a new industry will bring to the state,” Nowak said in an email. “No doubt, we are talking about tax revenue. But beyond that, the jobs that will be realized by retail sales, cultivation, manufacturing and delivery of marijuana.
“And there will be increased needs for workers in the ancillary businesses that will be fueled by the cannabis economy, from architects to contractors to the building trades to security,” added Nowak.
Scutari wants to see S-21′s vision come to fruition and said Murphy’s words in the two speeches were reassuring.
“I am hopeful this year we see a successful roll out of the legalized cannabis market,” Scutari texted.
Adam Goers, senior vice president of Corporate Affairs at Vineland-based Columbia Care — one of the state’s Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) that provides cannabis as medical care — said Murphy knows what’s at stake.
“This industry is creating a lot of opportunity for everyone,” Goers told NJ Cannabis Insider.
“This is significant. We’re looking at, in a short period of time, this is going to be $250 million to $350 million a year in tax revenue, at least, for New Jersey.
“As soon as we get going,” he said.
This story first appeared in NJ Cannabis Insider.
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Suzette Parmley may be reached at sparmley@njadvancemedia.com or follow her on Twitter: @SuzParmley
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