---
type: "Bill"
title: "\"New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act\"; legalizes personal use cannabis for certain adults, subject to State regulation; decriminalizes small amount marijuana and hashish possession; removes marijuana"
description: "\"New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act\"; legalizes personal use cannabis for certain adults, subject to State regulation; decriminalizes small amount marijuana and hashish possession; removes marijuana"
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "219"
identifier: "A 21"
citation: "New Jersey A 21 (219)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["MARIJUANA"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Danielsen, Joe", "Holley, Jamel C.", "McKnight, Angela V.", "Quijano, Annette", "Scutari, Nicholas P.", "Sweeney, Stephen M.", "Timberlake, Britnee N.", "Wimberly, Benjie E."]
version_count: 2
action_count: 10
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2020-11-05T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-02-22T05:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/bfb6369c-11fa-45fc-924e-b8985682b267"
source_url: "http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/downloads.asp"
source_hash: "0586a42ba35504f68e0c1b656993744871860c08b19ebf100358326f00acf2ed"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nj"]
---

# New Jersey A 21 (219) — "New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act"; legalizes personal use cannabis for certain adults, subject to State regulation; decriminalizes small amount marijuana and hashish possession; removes marijuana

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A0500/21_I1.HTM)
2. **Reprint** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A0500/21_R1.HTM)

## Votes

- Reported out of Assembly committee with amendments — **14–8** (pass) · lower
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **23–17** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **49–24** (pass) · lower
- Reported favorably out of committee — **4–2** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Danielsen, Joe — primary (person)
- Holley, Jamel C. — primary (person)
- McKnight, Angela V. — primary (person)
- Quijano, Annette — primary (person)
- Scutari, Nicholas P. — primary (person)
- Sweeney, Stephen M. — primary (person)
- Timberlake, Britnee N. — primary (person)
- Wimberly, Benjie E. — primary (person)
- Calabrese, Clinton — cosponsor (person)
- Jasey, Mila M. — cosponsor (person)
- Lopez, Yvonne — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-11-05T05:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2020-11-09T05:00:00+00:00** Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-11-19T05:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2020-12-14T05:00:00+00:00** Recommitted to Assembly Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-12-14T05:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2020-12-17T05:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (49-24-6) `passage`
- **2020-12-17T05:00:00+00:00** Received in the Senate without Reference, 2nd Reading
- **2020-12-17T05:00:00+00:00** Substituted for S21 (2R)
- **2020-12-17T05:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (Passed Both Houses) (23-17) `passage`
- **2021-02-22T05:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2021, c.16. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/bfb6369c-11fa-45fc-924e-b8985682b267`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).