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Lobbying in Trenton over legalized weed increased sharply by more than 300 percent last year, new state reports show.
According to annual filings with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, businesses and interest groups with stakes in medical marijuana, or those that support or oppose legalization of recreational marijuana, ramped up spending from $330,935 in 2017 to $1.36 million in 2018.
That spending comes as the Legislature continues to debate full legalization, after medical marijuana was approved in January 2010.
Gov. Phil Murphy, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, and state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin have been trying to to end a years-long stalemate on the issue by finalizing an agreement on a bill that would set up how to tax and regulate pot in the state. But the measure is still facing strong opposition by several key legislators.
The impasse has led to a new proposal to have have the state’s voters ultimately decide whether to legalize the drug in the Garden State, lawmakers said last week, although they insisted focus remains on finding a legislative solution.
Stephen Reid, executive director of Responsible Approaches to Marijuana Policy, or RAMP, believes the jump in lobbying expenses was due to the push by the governor last year to get the legislation done.
“Everyone is doing very well on State Street,” he remarked, referring to the street where most of the state’s lobbying a public policy firms are located. “It’s really about money,” he added. “Every lobbying firm on the street has a pro-marijuana client and they’re paying dearly for it.”
RAMP spent $24,000 last year in its own lobbying effort, representing Reid’s salary as a lobbyist for part of the year. The group is opposed to expanding recreational marijuana in New Jersey.
Looking at the more than $1.3 million spent statewide on the issue last year, Reid said that number could soar much, much higher if the matter ultimately goes on the ballot. “To run a campaign for a referendum is going to cost a lot of money,” he said.
The large increase in lobbying expenses was no surprise to Matthew Hale, a political science professor at Seton Hall, who said there is wide anticipation that the cannabis industry in New Jersey will be a big business. He said people are positioning themselves so they will get a piece of the pie.
“If there’s money to be made, there’s money to be spent,” he said.
At the same time, he said the proposed legislation touches on so many areas that affect many interests — from growers and retailers to those impacted by testing, regulation as well as social justice — generating even more lobbying efforts.
ELEC officials agreed that expansion of legalized marijuana in New Jersey would mean huge growth for the new industry.
“Many companies hoping to play a role in its growth have hired a fleet of lobbyists on their behalf,” said ELEC in a statement.
A Monmouth University poll released last week showed 62 percent of New Jersey adults support legalizing marijuana.
Ten states and Washington, D.C. have legalized marijuana, mostly by referendum. Only Vermont has done it via legislation.
Overall, spending on lobbying last year on all issues in the state was down last year, to $89.4 million, according to ELEC, although it said there were surges among some interests groups, including those seeking to erect offshore windmills, as well as by advocates supporting or opposing ratepayer subsidies to keep the state’s three nuclear power plants from closing.
Jeff Brindle, the executive director of ELEC, said lobbying was a fundamental part of democracy.
“Total dollars spent rise and fall each year,” he said. “But there are always new issues driving lobbyists to educate and persuade executive brach officials, legislators and, many times, the public.”
Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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