Anjali Mehrotra, the president of the National Organization of Women for New Jersey and the Mountainside Democratic Municipal Chair, has announced her bid for the New Jersey State Assembly in
The measure was included in enabling legislation that established New Jersey s recreational legal weed marketplace. Members of the Legislative Black and Latino Caucuses insisted on the ban as part of decriminalization legislation. It was, they said, a matter of social justice claiming police officers would stop and harass black and brown youth in greater numbers.
Parents, law enforcement and drug addiction experts all expressed outrage at the ban. The New Jersey Police Benevolent Association called the legislation treacherous and warned officers not to get involved in any situation involving marijuana. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal warned police could face criminal charges if they violated the ban.
Following almost two weeks of angry outcries from New Jersey parents and law enforcement, Democrats who control the Legislature are backpedaling on a provision in new marijuana laws that prohibit police from notifying parents if they catch underage kids smoking weed or drinking alcohol.
Democratic leaders have largely been silent though the controversy. Members of the Legislative Black Caucus and Legislative Latino Caucus insisted on a wide ranging decriminalization bill or they would have pulled their support from legislation setting up New Jersey s legal marijuana marketplace. The chairmen of both caucus groups now signal they will support parental notification.
The decriminalization bill was a messy compromise that had the backing of the Black Legislative Caucus. Members successfully killed any attempt to impose fines or penalties for underage use. They claimed police would use those provisions to unfairly stop and fine minority youth more often than whites under the age of 21.
Disbelief continues over ban on police telling parents about kids using weed.
Parents remain baffled and angry at new laws in New Jersey that ban cops from telling them if their kids are caught smoking weed or drinking. Police who do could face serious criminal charges.
The Legislature passed and Gov. Phil Murphy signed decriminalization laws under the guise of social justice but also because without it, they would have lost the support of the Legislative Black Caucus for legislation that set up a legal weed market.
Police unions have told their members to just stay away from anyone they see smoking weed. The New Jersey State Police Benevolent Association issued an urgent memo calling the new laws treacherous. Many parents say the laws interfere with their parental rights. Some experts suggest it could lead to more teen addiction.