The NJ Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill allowing large intoxicating hemp drinks and restricting towns from stopping medical cannabis dispensaries from converting to adult-use recreational sales.
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The NJ Assembly passed the bill on Monday.
A Committee Aide explained there’s an amendment on the Senate version to specify that intoxicating hemp drinks can only have 10 mg of THC.
That’s in contrast to the 750 ML or 25-ounce bottles with 200 mg of THC that the bill allows.
Liquor Store Lobby Defends Bill
Lobbyist Osner Charles of the Garden State Liquor Retailers Association yielded his time to their member, Mahi Patel.
She claimed they represent small and family businesses. Patel liked that the bill would allow them to sell intoxicating hemp drinks till November.
Patel said liquor stores are making less money as people drink booze less.
“For many retailers, intoxicating hemp beverages have become an important emerging product category that … offsets declining sales,” she noted.
“The bill will help businesses…. maintain revenue… and avoid unnecessary market disruptions…,” Patel argued.
Cannabis Advocate Concerns
Cannabis consultant and advocate Susanna Puntel of the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH) opposed the bill.
She said ATACH led the national fight for Congress to close the intoxicating hemp loophole to prevent liquor stores or smoke shops from selling intoxicating hemp products.
“This bill …seeks to amend that law for the 2nd time since January, making changes for just 5 months before the federal sunset in November,” Puntel said.
She said the changes impose a burden on regulators like the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).
Puntel was opposed to very strong, big bottles of intoxicating hemp drinks.
She called it “irresponsible.”
“…It undermines our THC experts!” Puntel exclaimed.
She said it’s unlikely that other states legally allow such strong intoxicating hemp drink bottles.
However, an underground legacy operator might sell something like that.
Puntel said she was neutral on the town power clause of the bill.
There is a repeal of requirements that have been in place since January around access and display of … intoxicating hemp beverages in liquor stores. So, this penalizes compliant operators,” she said.
“Certain bars will be permitted to sell THC beverages to go…,” Puntel added.
‘We have some cannabis consumption spaces in our state … who can sell nothing consumable … certainly not alcohol… food or beverage,” she explained.
Puntel really hated the strong hemp bottle idea.
“Ten milligrams is reasonable for regular consumers,” she argued.
Puntel repeated anti-marijuana fears of children consuming weed products.
“This bill contains an entirely irresponsible framework!” she exclaimed.
Acting Chair Rennee Burgess (D-28-Essex) asked her to speed it up.
Police Chiefs Against More Weed Products
Montville Chief Andrew Caggiano of the NJ Police Chiefs Association also opposed the bill.
“This legislation remains deeply flawed… Most concerning is the provision that authorizes THC beverages containing 200 mg of THC. And potentially more under the loosened testing standards contained within this bill,” he said.
Caggiano said people would drive poorly and be too high if they drank them.
It would make as much sense as chugging a whole whiskey bottle.
“NJ law enforcement still lacks effective THC testing technology, sufficient Drug Recognition Experts… and laboratory capacity and statewide enforcement consistency,” he claimed.
Caggiano only wanted licensed dispensaries to sell THC drinks. He claimed the bottles would look too much like soda and would charm kids. Caggiano also wanted more enforcement and more NJ cannabis education.
Puntel randomly added that New Jersey would make less in taxes if the bill passed.
The NJ Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill with bipartisan support 8-1, with 1 abstaining.
