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UPDATE: N.J. leaders say weed referendum is a last resort

WASHINGTON — A pair of state lawmakers — one Republican and one Democrat — are working on a new proposal that would have New Jersey voters be the ones to decide if marijuana becomes legal in the Garden State.

Currently, New Jersey’s leaders are seeking to take the legislative route to legalizing weed, by gathering enough votes in the state Legislature to pass a bill that would tax and regulate recreational pot for people 21 and older to possess.

But state Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, R-Bergen, and state Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex — who are both against legalizing marijuana — say the matter should ultimately be up to the public.

Schepisi told NJ Advance Media that’s why she authored a measure that would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana — up to one ounce — in New Jersey only if the state’s voters approve it in a ballot referendum.

She said she’s spoken to Rice, one of the Legislature’s most outspoken opponents of legal weed, about sponsoring it with her.

Schepisi a referendum would at least give voters a say and time to learn more about the pros and cons of pot.

“Right now, they’re just hearing soundbites," Schepisi told NJ Advance Media on Thursday during the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Walk to Washington” train trip ridden by New Jersey lawmakers, local officials, business leaders, and lobbyists.

“Let’s allow the public to become educated before they make a determination of whether or not this is what they really want," she added.

Rice stressed that he would “never” vote to legalize pot. But, he said, New Jerseyans should have a voice in the debate.

Plus, Rice said, voters “need to understand what the definition of recreational marijuana is” and opponents can teach them about the potential dangers leading up to the referendum.

It’s unclear if the question has a serious shot of getting on the ballot. Both houses of the Democratic-controlled Legislature — the Senate and Assembly — would have to approve the plan and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy would have to sign it.

And before that, legislative leaders would have to post it for a vote in both chambers for it even to be considered.

But Schepisi said a referendum might be “more attractive” if leaders ultimately can’t wrangle enough votes among lawmakers to support the bill to legalize pot the legislative way.

A Monmouth University poll released last week found 62 percent of New Jersey adults support legalizing marijuana.

Still, some critics consider a referendum to be unpredictable and see legislation as a safer route.

Matthew Saidel, a spokesman for Murphy’s office, said Thursday the governor — long a proponent of legal weed — prefers legislation over a referendum.

“While the Governor’s office does not comment on pending legislation, Governor Murphy believes that legalizing adult-use marijuana should occur through the legislative process," Saidel said. “He looks forward to continuing the productive discussions with the Legislature and building on the recent progress they have made together.”

Ten states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana. But most have been decided by voters.

Only Vermont has done so through legislation. New Jersey is seeking to become the second.

Murphy and his fellow Democrats who lead the Legislature — state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex — recently ended months of disagreement by reaching a deal on how how the state would tax and regulate legal marijuana.

But the bill isn’t finalized. And once it is, both the Senate and Assembly have to pass it before Murphy could sign it into law.

Two sources say each chamber is currently a number of votes short, with lawmakers from both major political parties either opposed or on the fence.

Murphy, Sweeney, and Coughlin are expected to ramp up their lobbying efforts to convince lawmakers in the coming weeks.

Sources say the hope is for lawmakers to vote on the bill March 25, but that may be pushed back to sometime in the spring.

The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the issue.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Matt Arco contributed to this report.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

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