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As Heady NJ Editor, I moderated a panel on the need to legalize growing cannabis at home at the recent NECANN industry conference.
Businessman Evan Nisan of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and Trichome Analytical CEO Kristen Goede are the leaders of the New Jersey Home Grow Coalition. So, we held the panel to a very interested audience.
The goal of the panel was to get more support from the cannabis industry.
Those who are in favor of independent, local, diversely owned businesses make up a large portion of the coalition that has developed.
I explained that despite the New Jersey cannabis industry booming, it remains a felony to grow cannabis.
Nisan noted that he has been part of the leadership to get home grow through since the market implementation bill CREAMMA passed in 2021.
Goede noted she got involved when the NJ State Bar Association expressed concerns to her about how unlicensed cannabis is not tested and that they didn’t think homegrown cannabis should be legal.
“The testing aspect of home cultivation does not make it safe or not safe. You have more control over your own grow,” she explained. “Similarly, to growing tomatoes in your backyard, it is not tested.”
“Anyone profiting in this industry should also care about the patients and the people and be sure that you are doing what you can… to make change at the state level,” Goede declared.
I explained that the legislature needs to pass the bill in the Assembly and the State Senate to become law.
“The NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission cannot help,” I explained.
Goede explained the coalition has made progress advocating for the bill for medical home cultivation S 1393 in terms of getting sponsors.
With Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) of Monmouth County, it has bipartisan support.
“We are up to 8 sponsors, soon to be 9 sponsors. Which is a lot,” she noted.
Goede explained that the more sponsors a bill gets, the closer it is to passage.
She explained the current bill limits the plant count.
The legislation limits it to 4 mature cannabis plants and 4 immature plants.
“We are the only state that legalized adult-use (cannabis) without legalizing home cultivation,” Goede noted.
She said that consistency in the plant is necessary for medical cannabis patients.
“Sometimes they can’t find that strain-specific medication on the market consistently. They might find something that works. But the next time they go to the dispensary, it’s sold out, and it doesn’t get grown again,” Goede explained.
I explained we really need to persuade NJ Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (D-27) of Newark, Angela McKnight (D-31) of Jersey City, and especially NJ Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22) of Union County.
Senator Troy Singleton (D-7) of Burlington County has been leading the medical side, while Vin Gopal (D-11) of Monmouth introduced a bill to legalize adult-use home growing.
Goede urged people to reach out to their state senators.
She encouraged people to scan the coalition’s QR Code to do so easily.
Goede explained that the coalition wants the bill to limit the size of the grow by canopy, which would increase the plant count.
“In the industry, everything is regulated by canopy area,” she noted. “We believe that is more important. So, people can do pheno hunting in a 10 X 10 area.”
Goede added the bill includes negative consequences for patients gifting home grown cannabis.
“We believe that needs to be removed,” she said.
Gifting is already prohibited, Goede argued.
“I don’t think a state is fully legal until people are out of prison and home cultivation is legal,” Nisan declared. “It’s still not fully legal.”
He explained that pheno hunting to find the best plant grown is important.
In addition, people sell clones or baby plants in other markets along with lighting equipment and soil.
“It’s not like money won’t be spent in the economy on home cultivation,” Nisan said.
“I grow tomatoes, and I also buy tomatoes,” he added.
Many, especially those who like large corporations that are Multi-State Operators (MSOs), think it will hurt their profit margins and oppose it.
“People still buy from a dispensary. They like the selection. They might even buy more because you want to try new things. Or maybe your harvest got bud rot,” Goede argued. “It’s been proven through studies it does not affect the market.”
“That excuse is not valid in my opinion,” she declared.
Goede noted that Scutari thinks it would hurt the industry.
“They were waiting for the industry to be established,” she noted.
Nisan noted that is why they are seeking industry support at NECANN.
It’s also why the home grow coalition now includes many independent dispensary owners.
As an alternative, Goede explained they have been discussing new legislation to regulate growing cannabis heavily, like including a type of Breeder’s License class.
“It’s being posted to the Senate Health Committee agenda, and it’s being removed by Senate leadership,” she noted. “Once it moves forward, it has the support to pass.”
Goede noted the need to get the New Jersey cannabis industry to support patients.
I gave a shout-out to NJ Canna Business Association (NJCBA) President Scott Rudder, who was in the audience and endorsed home grow legalization.
The NJCBA held two webinars on the subject this summer with Singleton and Gopal.
I added the lobbyists and representatives of large MSOs have been vocal against it behind closed doors.
Goede noted that the NJ Cannabis Trade Association (NJCTA), which represents the large MSOs and a few other companies, is in favor of medical home growing.
Rudder noted that an association of large MSOs called the NY Medical Cannabis Industry Association signed a letter against cannabis home grow to ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
According to Marijuana Moment, the large MSOs Columbia Care’s Botanist and Acreage, which operates Ascend, signed the letter.
It seems representatives of Curaleaf and GTI Rise are also on that board.
“I called the same people up in 2020 when we were doing the referendum to get legalization. I called these MSOs up for campaign contributions,” Rudder said.
He added “I got ZERO from them. That, to me, was stunning.”
“The response was we don’t need the extra competition. They locked in the medical market,” Rudder explained.
He noted he owns the Township Green dispensary in South Jersey.
“I will not be impacted whatsoever,” Rudder declared.
He noted that legislators care about how popular an issue is among their constituents. Rudder explained influential churchgoers in urban Democratic areas can be socially conservative and oppose cannabis often.
“The protests don’t really work,” he noted. “What really works is that one on one approach to a legislator.”
“}]] As Heady NJ Editor, I moderated a panel on the need to legalize growing cannabis at home at the recent NECANN industry conference. Read More