Gubernatorial primary candidate and former NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3-Gloucester) has endorsed medical home growing legalization.
He posted it on social media in the image above. In his post he noted that he helped phase out the medical marijuana state tax.
“I’ve been with the journey of the legalization of cannabis for several years from medical to the transition to adult-use…,” Sweeney said in the post.
The Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primary election is on June 10, 2025.
NJ Ready for Homegrow with Industry Established
“Steve has always kept home cultivation in mind as the next step in a process that began with medical use and transitioned to adult recreational use. It was just a matter of determining when the right moment would be. He wanted to establish a strong commercial foundation before moving to that next step,” Sweeney for Governor Press Secretary Kerry Lyons explained.
“The industry has established itself and we are several years into adult recreational use. He thinks now is the time for home cultivation for medical patients, expanding options in terms of both affordability and accessibility,” he added.
Sweeney spoke with the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce on several issues in the cannabis industry.
NJ Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22-Union) replaced Sweeney as NJ Senate President. He has often claimed that he wanted the cannabis industry established first.
When that will be is another question.
There were a billion dollars in legal New Jersey weed sales last year.
Notably, he has said he hates the underground legacy weed market. Scutari hates it so much he wants to re-criminalize legacy weed. He has said in the past he thought homegrow could be a front for legacy operators.
So Senators Troy Singleton (D-7-Burlington) and Vin Gopal (D-11-Monmouth) have been pushing since 2021 for bills allowing people to grow a small number of plants.
Sweeney Answers NJ Home Grow Coalition’s Cannabis Questions
Leading cannabis advocate Chris Goldstein explained the NJ Home Grow Coalition sent a questionnaire to Sweeney. He answered their questions and sent them back. He outlined his positions on helping medical patients deal with limited options with regulation, protecting workers who consume cannabis, and allowing lounges.
Goldstein said Sweeney was the first candidate to respond to the Home Grow Coalition’s questionnaire and praised him for announcing his position on social media.
“You gotta give Sweeney credit,” he argued.
Goldstein is optimistic about progress in the long-running fight with Sweeney’s endorsement and more sponsors added to the medical cannabis home grow bill.
NJ Democratic Gubernatorial Primary Candidates on Cannabis
Goldstein explained that in the Cannabis Insider NJ newsletter, Political Reporter Jelani Gibson said Democratic candidates Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop told him they were for it.
The story was only in a newsletter and not available as an article to read freely or behind a paywall.
He noted they have not publicized their position on Homegrow on social media like Sweeney.
Fulp and Baraka were both for cannabis legalization before it passed. Both Newark and Jersey City have many adult-use cannabis dispensaries and allowed consumption lounges in their initial laws regulating dispensaries.
Congresswoman Mikie Sherill (D-NJ-11) of Essex County has a good voting record on cannabis overall, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
In 2019, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5) of Bergen County said he was against federal marijuana legalization. Then, in 2022, he wanted the government to study the effects of driving and getting high.
But he also has a good cannabis voting record overall, according to NORML.
NJ Education Association President Sean Spiller is also running for Governor. He was the Mayor of Montclair in Essex County by Newark. The town has long been known to be pro-cannabis. Under Spiller, a few companies were permitted to operate in town.
NJ Republican Primary Candidates on Cannabis
Goldstein noted radio host and Republican candidate Bill Spadea is the only Republican who has endorsed home grow. He is the strongest supporter of President Donald Trump among them.
Leading NJ cannabis advocate Bill Caruso told Heady NJ he didn’t believe the Republican candidates would roll back legalization. The other candidates are State Senator Jon Bramnick of Union County, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli of Somerset County, and former State Senator Ed Durr of Gloucester County.
A competitive primary is a good time to get candidates to make promises of what they will do once in office. It’s a good way to win votes from voters who are passionate about issues.
The NJ Governorship is one of the most powerful in the country. The NJ Governor directly chooses who will be Lt. Governor and Attorney General, among other positions.
In other states, you can run for Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and other positions separately.
