New Jersey lawmakers attempt to move forward with implementing voter-approved marijuana legalization, the UNODC warns of innovative meth production practices in Asia, and more.
New Jersey Lawmakers File Bill to Fine Underage Marijuana Users in Bid to Get Legalization Implemented [15]. Legislators have filed a bill, A5211 [16], that would fine underage pot smokers after Gov. Phil Murphy (D) refused to sign the bill that would implement the marijuana legalization referendum approved by voters in November. "The bill is largely a consensus between the Legislature and the governor’s office," said one source within the administration. "There’s some final technical edits that still need to be made. By and large, the governor’s office is working in good faith with the Legislature to get this finalized for next week." The bills will get Senate Judiciary Committee and Assembly Appropriations Committee hearings on Thursday, with floor votes likely on Monday.
New York Lawmakers Pre-File Marijuana Legalization Bill [17]. Legislators representing nearly a third of the state Senate pre-filed a marijuana legalization bill on Tuesday. The bill was filed by Sen. Liz Krueger (D) and 18 cosponsors and is identical to a bill she filed last year. It would legalize marijuana for adults 21 and over and allow for the home cultivation of six plants, as well as setting up a system of taxed and regulated sales.
South Dakota State Bar Advises Lawyers Not to Represent Legal Pot Firms [18]. A State Bar advisory committee has issued an opinion saying that attorneys cannot represent clients in the marijuana industry because the plant remains illegal under federal law.
International
UN Warns of Increasingly Creative Methamphetamine Producers [19]. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned that meth producers are getting increasingly creative and that increasing seizures across Asia suggest that producers are finding new chemical means of manufacturing meth. The new meth-making abilities "suggest increased sophistication among illicit manufacturing facilities," the agency said. "The crime groups are using increasingly diverse sets of chemicals and increasingly diverse chemical sources, meaning from different countries," said Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC regional representative for southeast Asia and the Pacific. "If they can't get their hands on one chemical, they're getting their hands on other chemicals and then getting creative in terms of how they produce the meth. "Pseudoephedrine seizures aren't being made at all, even though there are indications that it is still in use," he said. "What we're seeing is diversity in chemicals, including some very unique chemicals pushing into the region. It's alarming because that indicates it is going to be even harder, given they're using potentially non-controlled chemicals."