EDITOR’S NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider features exclusive, premium content for those interested in getting in on the ground floor or expanding their operation. View a sample issue. On Oct. 2, NJ Cannabis Insider hosts its fall live event, featuring leaders in the medical marijuana and legal cannabis industries. Early-bird tickets are now available.

Gov. Phil Murphy says he’d love to breath new life into passing a bill this year that would legalize marijuana in New Jersey.

Murphy said Thursday he was encouraged when state Senate President Stephen Sweeney told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday that he’s like to make “one more run" at the measure.

“I was encouraged to see that, and count me all in to try and work toward that,” Murphy said at an unrelated event in Murray Hill. “I was happy to hear that. Getting something to happen sooner if we have a real shot at it, I’d be all in for that.”

Three months ago, Sweeney — New Jersey’s most powerful state lawmaker — announced he was ending efforts to pass the bill in the state Legislature because leaders couldn’t gather enough votes. Instead, he said, it would likely be up to the state’s voters to decide whether to make pot legal here, in a November 2020 ballot referendum.

But on Wednesday, Sweeney said he’s “not going to give up trying” to get weed legal through legislation later in the year.

“I would love to do it,” Sweeney said. "We’ll make one more run at it.”

Such a move would allow leaders to more easily mold and regulate the new marijuana industry. And waiting until next year’s elections means you likely won’t be able to consume weed legally in New Jersey until early 2021, at the earliest.

In addition, thousands of people will continue to be arrested for pot offenses in the meantime. New Jersey arrested 34,500 people on marijuana offenses in 2017, more than any other state in the nation.

Murphy has always been in favor of legalizing pot through legislation, which was one of his campaign promises. Sources say this option is still a long shot, and any such vote probably wouldn’t be taken until after the November state Assembly elections.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson and Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.