Marijuana Legalization Effects Spill Beyond State Borders

(Summer 2018) New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy campaigned on marijuana legalization last year, saying that it would put a stop to overcrowded prisons and garner $300 million in revenue. This spring Murphy declared that he wanted the law changed during 2018. Although Murphy is enthusiastic about his plan, Andrew Cuomo, governor of neighboring New York, is not. Cuomo is against marijuana legalization in his state and sees Murphy’s plan as an uncontrollable problem. Residents of the Empire State could easily cross into New Jersey to purchase the drug, unless sales were contained to in-state residents or police searched every individual coming into New York via its various transit methods.

Cuomo requested a study of the situation in January, but state Senate Republicans refused to fund it. His next step may be to approach the state Department of Health to do the research.

A spokesperson for the New Jersey chapter of the Drug Policy Alliance believes Murphy’s efforts might not succeed this year, as lawmakers and state residents may not be convinced of legalization’s benefits.

Cuomo can point to Oregon’s marijuana overproduction as evidence of the drug crossing state boundaries. U.S. Attorney Billy Williams cites Oregon’s oversupply as the reason for cracking down on interstate drug movement, organized crime and underage marijuana use. According to Williams, Oregon’s marijuana is finding its way to over 24 states in which the drug is still illegal. Due to limited funding and staffing of federal prosecutors in the state, Williams says they will carefully determine which cases to criminally prosecute. Others will be subject to lesser penalties.

There’s no doubt, however, that a trucker and his passenger busted while making a trip from California with more than 200 pounds of marijuana will be charged with possession with intent to deliver. The duo was pulled over by the Arkansas Highway Police this spring after the truck failed to stop at a weigh station in Alma, Arkansas.

The two will encounter felony charges and a minimum sentence of six years. Under Arkansas law, they are subject to as many as 30 years in prison for the violation as well as a fine of $15,000.

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