Bill > S1704

Introduced Session

This bill reinstates the criminal penalty for underage possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages, cannabis, marijuana, and hashish as a disorderly person offense. A disorderly person offense is punishable by a term of imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. This bill also re-establishes a minimum fine of $500 and re-establishes the penalty of a six month suspension of driving privileges. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement, Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act" ("CREAMMA"), P.L.2021, c.16, established a penalty for underage possession and consumption of cannabis and marijuana equivalent to the penalty for underage alcohol. Shortly after CREAMMA was enacted, the criminal penalties for underage alcohol and cannabis were replaced with a system of non-punitive written warnings, under P.L.2021, c.25, and P.L.2021, c.38. It is the sponsor's view that the written warning scheme has proven ineffectual in curbing underage use and abuse of alcohol and cannabis, as demonstrated by a sharp rise in 2022 and 2023 in the number of police complaints regarding underage parties where alcohol and cannabis were found, particularly in the beach communities along the Jersey Shore. It is the sponsor's intent to control underage alcohol and cannabis use and abuse by reinstating the threat of criminal prosecution, as well as driver's license suspension.

Committee Categories

Tony Bucco (R)*,  Declan O'Scanlon (R)*,  Carmen Amato (R),  Jim Holzapfel (R), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document