By Payton Guion and Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media

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About a week later than expected, a state senator on Thursday introduced a bill that would change the landscape of marijuana in New Jersey.

State Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, laid out his plan to address both medical and recreational marijuana in a single bill, a move that has already caused consternation in Trenton.

With only three weeks until the deadline for the Legislature to pass its budget, Scutari acknowledged that getting the bill passed in that timeline is a tough task.

“I’m going to give it a shot. But we are running out of time,” Scutari said.

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Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media

What does this mean?

The bill calls for a massive expansion of the state's constrained, but growing, medical marijuana program. Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the expansion earlier this year, and Scutari is the latest lawmaker to have a go.

But this plan also would legalize the possession and personal use of marijuana for adults in New Jersey who are at least 21 years old.

Scutari also introduced a separate recreational bill Thursday that has the same provisions as the recreational portion of his combined bill, likely as a way to hedge his bets in case other lawmakers oppose the merged plan.

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More than 200 dispensaries

New Jersey has six medical marijuana dispensaries. Should this bill pass, that number would spike.

Scutari told NJ Advance Media on Thursday that his plan was to allow as many as 120 recreational dispensaries across the state, on top of as many as 98 medical marijuana stores, for a total of 218 dispensaries.

The bill says that there would be at least two recreational dispensaries in each of Jersey's 40 legislative districts and 40 other dispensaries around the state.

Medical marijuana dispensaries would be added incrementally as the number of patients grows.

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Places to light up

In one of the biggest changes from previous bills, this plan would allow each of the recreational dispensaries to open lounges where buyers could consume the marijuana they just bought. Previous bills have said the only places people could use their weed was in a private residence.

Oregon and Colorado both have consumption lounges, but New Jersey doesn't yet have any for its medical patients.

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How many growers and other licenses?

All those new medical and recreational pot shops will need to get their product from somewhere.

Scutari calls for a cap of 25 growers in the state, of which 15 would be for the medical marijuana program.

The bill also allows up to 15 processors in the medical program, but it doesn't set a limit for the number of recreational processors. The plan also allows licenses for recreational marijuana wholesalers, but it doesn't set a max for those either.

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Can it help communities affected by past marijuana policy?

Murphy has said that social justice is his biggest motivation in wanting to legalize marijuana. One of the ways other bills have tried to achieve that is by setting aside a certain percentage of marijuana business licenses for minority- and women-owned businesses. This bill doesn't have such a set-aside.

Instead, it embraces the use of "social impact zones," which aim to favor businesses that have owners or investors from economically depressed areas with a disproportionate number of marijuana arrests.

The bill aims to give 25 percent of dispensary licenses to such businesses. It also says that most of those licenses should go to businesses located in such areas.

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Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media

How much tax would you pay?

The first year of recreational marijuana would see a 10 percent excise tax on purchases, increasing to 15 percent in the second year, 20 percent in the third year and 25 percent in the fourth year and beyond.

Early estimates of New Jersey's market indicate that the state could make around $300 million every year in tax revenue.

This plan also eliminates any medical marijuana tax after three years. Patients now pay 7 percent tax.

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What about old marijuana arrests?

People with low-level marijuana possession convictions on their records would be eligible to have those changes cleared, but they have to apply. Other bills in the Legislature could impact that.

Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, D-Union, has introduced a bill that would make expungements automatic. She held the first hearing on that bill earlier this week.

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Timeline

If this bill were to become law, marijuana possession up to an ounce would immediately be decriminalized. The medical marijuana provisions would also take effect immediately, expediting the expansion of the program.

The parts of the bill regarding recreational marijuana would take effect 180 days after it passes, which is when the Division of Marijuana Enforcement would start crafting rules and planning to accept applications for additional businesses.

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Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media

Can this bill pass?

Short answer: It looks like a long-shot.

Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, told NJ Advance Media on Thursday that he would never vote for a bill that combined medical and recreational marijuana. Others in the Legislature have echoed that feeling.

But some lawmakers are supportive. Assemblyman Jamel Holley, who has helped Scutari craft the legislation, said he thinks it will pass the Assembly. Scutari said that Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin is on board.

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Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.