State senator Nicholas Scutari was a primary sponsor of the bill. He also was a primary sponsor of New Jersey S. 119, the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, which he introduced in January 2005, five years before it was enacted. After "stalling" the bill was revived when legislators and the governor agreed to set a tax rate of $42.00 an ounce vice a percentage of the sale price. The New York Times reported in February, 2019 that the settling of the tax rate question "could place the state [of New Jersey] on a path to legalizing recreational marijuana this year". On March 18, both chambers advanced the bill for a floor vote.
