The bill proposes the establishment of the Division of State Cannabis Oversight, Regulation, and Enforcement (SCORE) within the Department of Law and Public Safety, effectively replacing the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC). This transition aims to enhance the enforcement of cannabis regulations by granting SCORE explicit authority to take action against unlicensed cannabis businesses and expanding the Alcoholic Beverage Control Enforcement Bureau to include cannabis regulatory enforcement, renaming it the Bureau of Alcohol and Cannabis Enforcement (BACE). The bill also stipulates that the current Chair of the CRC will serve as the first Director of SCORE until a successor is appointed, and it includes the transfer of employees from the CRC and the Office of Minority, Disabled Veterans, and Women Cannabis Business Development to the new division.

Additionally, the bill introduces various amendments to existing cannabis laws, including the imposition of civil penalties for selling cannabis items to individuals under 21 years of age, the establishment of a framework for the licensing and regulation of cannabis establishments, and the introduction of social equity measures to ensure that a significant percentage of licenses are awarded to minority, women, and disabled veterans businesses. The bill emphasizes the importance of public health and safety standards, mandates the adoption of rules and regulations by SCORE, and outlines the responsibilities of the division in monitoring compliance and ensuring the effective administration of cannabis laws in New Jersey.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2A:170-51.13, 2C:35-10, 2C:58-4.6, 4:28-8, 24:6I-3, 24:6I-4, 24:6I-5.1, 24:6I-5.3, 24:6I-6, 24:6I-6.1, 24:6I-7, 24:6I-7.1, 24:6I-7.2, 24:6I-7.3, 24:6I-7.4, 24:6I-7.5, 24:6I-10, 24:6I-11, 24:6I-12, 24:6I-13, 24:6I-16, 24:6I-17, 24:6I-18, 24:6I-19, 24:6I-20, 24:6I-21, 24:6I-22, 24:6I-23, 24:6I-24, 24:6I-25, 24:6I-26, 24:6I-27, 24:6I-28, 24:6I-29, 24:6I-33, 24:6I-34, 24:6I-35, 24:6I-36, 24:6I-37, 24:6I-38, 24:6I-39, 24:6I-40, 24:6I-41, 24:6I-42, 24:6I-43, 24:6I-44, 24:6I-45, 24:6I-46, 24:6I-47, 24:6I-48, 24:6I-48.1, 24:6I-48.2, 24:6I-48.3, 24:6I-48.4, 24:6I-50, 26:3A2-20.2, 33:1-4.1, 43:16A-3.8, 45:1-45.1, 52:13D-17.2, 52:17B-71, 53:1-8.2, 53:1-8.3, 53:1-11.3, 53:1-11.4, 53:1-11.5, 53:1-11.6, 53:1-11.9, 53:5A-5.1, 53:5A-6, 53:5A-9, 54:47F-1