CMMNJ Monthly public Zoom meeting
Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 7:00 PM; Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84045181548?pwd=QnA3MU4rKzhJWlBpQUlMd0RGbndLdz09
Meeting ID: 840 4518 1548; Password: 352228
August 11, 2020 CMMNJ Monthly Public Meeting Agenda: Approve the July 2020 minutes. The Lawrence Library Community Rooms will be closed through September, and possibly the rest of 2020. Future CMMNJ public meetings will be via Zoom Conferences.
CMMNJ’s Get-Out-the-Vote Campaign:
Plant the seeds of change: HeadCount’s Cannabis Voter Project! #growyourpower
Visit www.cannabisvoter.info learn about reform & take action! TEXT: WEVOTE to 40649. TEXT: CANNA to 40649.
To register to vote in NJ, you must be: a U.S. citizen; at least 18 years old; a county resident for 30 days before the election; and, not currently incarcerated. #VoteCannabis2020 on 11/3/20!
Dee Carnegia is reaching out to NJ colleges and universities to Get Out the Vote (GOTV).
Tracy McHugh is contacting sororities and fraternities in NJ to GOTV!.
NJ CAN 2020's Axel Owen is working to pass the ballot question on Nov. 3, 2020.
CMMNJ is holding a Poster Contest to inspire people to vote Yes on the Cannabis ballot question on November 3rd. Submit your artwork by 9/1/20. Win prizes! Do good!
Gov. Murphy reaffirmed his enthusiastic support of marijuana legalization: “It’s got a huge social justice piece for me,” Murphy said. “The overwhelming percentage of persons nailed in our criminal justice system are persons of color…It’s a job creator, it’s a tax revenue raiser, it checks a lot of boxes. I hope we’ll get there sooner than later.”
The latest poll shows 68 percent of NJ respondents support legalizing cannabis for adults.
CMMNJ’s Peter Rosenfeld published an Op Ed supporting the adult use ballot question in NJ.
The Shore Grow fundraiser for Patient Aid will be 8/15/20 from 3 to 6 pm. Can’t attend in person? Join us virtually—on Zoom, or Podcast. Patients, be part of this--record your statements of how medical marijuana helps you. Send to Tom@ShoreGrow.com Donate items for auction!
Cannabis Decriminalization bill A1897 passed in the NJ Assembly 6/18/20. A better bill, S2535 awaits action in the NJ Senate. Rally for Decrim: State House, Trenton, 8/27/20, 11 – 2.
NJ MMP Update: The DOH issued regulations on 6/25/20 to allow NJ ATCs to begin home delivery, but the service has yet to start.
TerrAscend Corp. said on 8/4/20 that its greenhouse in Boonton was OK’d by the NJ Department of Health to begin cultivating cannabis. Their first harvest is expected during the fourth quarter of this year. An ATC is expected to open in Phillipsburg, NJ in Q4 2020, followed by two additional ATCs upon regulatory approval.
The Appellate court on 7/2/20 denied the DOH motion to end the stay and award ATC licenses. This continues to halt the progress of 24 additional NJ medical marijuana licenses. State urged to compromise.
Home cultivation for patients--sign the petition: Let Patients Grow NJ. Also, visit the website: Let Patients Grow NJ #JeffsLaw. Use the momentum of a successful ballot victory in November to press forward our demands for social justice and home grow.
Leading Cannabis Activist Mike Brennan: Advocate & Patient featured in Heady NJ.
Upcoming Events: Shore Grow Patient Aid 2020; CMMNJ fundraiser: 8/15/20, noon – 5 pm.
Sativa Cross Podcasts, Trenton State House, 8/27, 9/24, 10/22, 11/26, 11am to 2 pm.
Rally for Decrim: State House, Trenton, 8/27/20, 11 – 2.
Recent events: Sativa Cross Podcast, Trenton State House, 7/23/20.
March Against the War on Drugs, March, Rally, Speakers, CMMNJ table. Newark, 7/10/20.
Treasury report: Checking: $3572; PayPal: $2974. Help our GOTV campaign!
Make a tax-deductible donation via PayPal to info@cmmnj.org, or, send a check to:
CMMNJ, 219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618. Hemp wristbands also available.
More info: Ken Wolski, RN, MPA (609) 394-2137 ohamkrw@aol.com http://www.cmmnj.org
Facebook: Friends of CMMNJ: https://www.facebook.com/groups/62462971150/
Coalition for Medical Marijuana - New Jersey
Twitter: @CMM_NJ
CMMNJ blog: https://cmmnj.blogspot.com/
CMMNJ’s free, public meetings are the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 7 – 9 PM.
CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit educational organization.
The ballot question voters will be asked to approve on November 3, 2020:
Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called “cannabis”?
Only adults at least 21 years of age could use cannabis. The State commission created to oversee the State’s medical cannabis program would also oversee the new, personal use cannabis market.
Cannabis products would be subject to the State sales tax. If authorized by the Legislature, a municipality may pass a local ordinance to charge a local tax on cannabis products.
This amendment would legalize a controlled form of marijuana called “cannabis.” Only persons at least 21 years of age could use cannabis products legally.
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission would oversee the new adult cannabis market. This commission was created in 2019 to oversee the State’s medical cannabis program. The scope of the commission’s new authority would be detailed in laws enacted by the Legislature.
All retail sales of cannabis products in the new adult cannabis market would be subject to the State’s sales tax. If authorized by the Legislature, a municipality may pass a local ordinance to charge a local tax on cannabis products.
More info at: SCR183/ACR840
Monthly Public Meeting Minutes
June 9, 2020
Lawrence Library meeting rooms are CLOSED. CMMNJ meetings are Zoom Conferences.
July 2020 was the fourth fully virtual public meeting of CMMNJ. We advised Zoom meeting participants that there is no way to tell if their comments are being recorded. As usual, in the beginning of the meeting, participants introduced themselves and said a few words about why they were at the meeting. We extended our best wishes for everyone’s safety and health during this time of pandemic, social distancing and economic collapse.
CMMNJ’s Get-Out-the-Vote Campaign for “an election of a lifetime” (Scott Rudder):
Plant the seeds of change: HeadCount’s Cannabis Voter Project! #growyourpower Visit www.cannabisvoter.info learn about reform & take action! To register to vote in NJ, you must be: a U.S. citizen; at least 18 years old; a county resident for 30 days before the election; and, not currently incarcerated. #VoteCannabis2020 on 11/3/20!
Supporters were urged to answer Op Eds and Letters-to-the-Editor that opposed the marijuana ballot question. Some volunteers offered to rebut a recent Op Ed.
Dee Carnegia has forwarded CMMNJ’s GOTV at Princeton U to about 50 NJ colleges and universities, with follow up emails and phone calls. Her contact data is saved on Excel. Dee gave an update on her efforts and said she got support from about 5 colleges so far. The V.P. of Student Life is a good contact. “Slava” said he wrote a letter to Rutgers U.
“NJ CAN 2020”, the campaign arm for the ballot question on Nov. 3, 2020 to legalize marijuana, hired veteran campaign manager, Axel Owen. Discussion of how to reach out to young people who are NOT in college.
Cannabis Decriminalization bill A1897 passed in the NJ Assembly 6/18/20. A better bill, S2535 awaits action in the NJ Senate.
NJ MMP Update: The NJ tax on medical marijuana dropped on July 1 from 6.625% to 4%. Next year at this time it will be 2% and the following year 0.
The DOH issued regulations on 6/25/20 to allow NJ ATCs to begin home delivery.
ATCs continue to be “essential services” that offer curbside pickup to patients.
The Appellate court on 7/2/20 denied the DOH motion to end the stay and award ATC licenses. This continues to halt the progress of 24 additional NJ medical marijuana licenses from the 2019 application process. Ed Tobias gave an update on the issue, and said he will re-send his briefs on the case. State urged to compromise with applicants. Possible solution—allow applicants to resubmit files that were rejected as corrupt.
Carol said she has been a legal patient since November and asked why people do not have control over Mother Nature’s pain killer? She urged the cannabis community to organize further.
Nick reported on the difficulty he had using his medicine in Avalon—police and resort people were unaware of NJ MMP rules. Nick was urged to document his difficulties and publish them.
Home cultivation for patients--sign the petition: Let Patients Grow NJ. Also, visit the website: Let Patients Grow NJ #JeffsLaw. Use the momentum of a successful ballot victory in November to press forward our demands for social justice and home grow.
Mike suggested tabling at the Burlington County Farmer’s Market.
Upcoming Events: Shore Grow Patient Aid 2020; CMMNJ fundraiser: 8/15/20, noon – 5 pm.
March Against the War on Drugs, 7/17/20, Newark City Hall at 4pm and march to Peter Francisco Park Rally (near Penn Station), 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Speakers, CMMNJ table.
Sativa Cross Podcasts, Trenton State House, 7/23, 8/27, 9/24, 10/22, 11/26, 11am to 2 pm.
Recent events: Sativa Cross Podcast, Trenton State House, 7/2/20 (CMMNJ donated $400).
Cheryl Miller--NJ multiple sclerosis patient & medicinal marijuana activist died on June 7, 2003.
Treasury report: Checking: $3745; PayPal: $2974. Help our GOTV campaign!
Make a tax-deductible donation via PayPal to info@cmmnj.org, or, send a check to:
CMMNJ, 219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618. Hemp wristbands also available.
More info: Ken Wolski, RN, MPA (609) 394-2137 ohamkrw@aol.com http://www.cmmnj.org
Facebook: Friends of CMMNJ: https://www.facebook.com/groups/62462971150/
Coalition for Medical Marijuana - New Jersey:
Twitter: @CMM_NJ
CMMNJ blog: https://cmmnj.blogspot.com/
CMMNJ’s free, public meetings are the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 7 – 9 PM.
CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit educational organization
