The Democratic candidate for New Jersey governor previewed her priorities for marijuana policy if voters elect her next week, stressing the need for “better regulations” that prevent youth access to THC products, effectively distribute tax revenue and address the lack of a home grow option.

In an interview with CBS News’s “The Point” that aired on Sunday, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) said that “everyone in New Jersey wants to see the laws changed” around cannabis. And while she support legalization—unlike her Republican opponent, former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R)—the congresswoman said she sees areas for improvement.

“The legislature feels as if they haven’t really gotten the law right there. The cannabis companies feel as if the law isn’t right,” Sherrill said. “So some of the kind of low-hanging fruit is the THC drinks that are now unregulated and being sold in 7-Elevens, ensuring that young kids don’t have access to cannabis products, making sure we’re doing better enforcement—because I’ve heard from some mayors concerns about, in bodegas, very young kids are getting access to edibles that look like candy, and their parents don’t realize it’s not.”

“At the same time, addressing some of the home grow provisions, which I’m supportive of, and then ensuring that we have better regulations around cannabis, where it can be sold,” she said. “The reason the cannabis industry wants it is because they want to legitimize their business.”

Asked about her views on the allocation of tax revenue from legal cannabis sales, Sherrill said that, under the current law, “some of the cannabis money was really supposed to go into more provisions ensuring that kids didn’t have access to it,” but “that hasn’t happened.”

“I’d like to see some of it going where the legislation was saying that it would go to,” she said. “But then, of course, if we can have more revenue to put into a lot of the programs we want to see statewide, I’d welcome that.”

For voters who support marijuana reform, the November 4 gubernatorial election results could meaningfully impact the future of New Jersey’s cannabis market depending whether Sherrill or the GOP candidate Ciattarelli wins office.

In Congress before entering the race, Sherrill in 2019 and 2021 also voted in favor of Democratic-led bills to federally legalize marijuana and promote social equity. That legislation—the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act—cleared the House both times, but didn’t advance in the Senate.

Before being elected to Congress in 2018, Sherrill endorsed federal rescheduling of marijuana.

Additionally, she’s consistently supported the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act to prevent federal regulators from penalizing financial institutions simply for working with state-licensed cannabis businesses.

In 2023, the congresswoman sponsored an amendment to defense legislation to expedite the waiver process for military recruits and applicants who admit to prior cannabis use by allowing the lowest-level defense employees to issue such waivers.

The prior year, Sherrill proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to eliminate the federal sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.

Another amendment she filed for the 2025 NDAA, which was blocked from floor consideration, would have expanded eligibility for expungements of non-violent drug convictions by removing an age restriction limiting relief to those who were under 21 at the time of the offense.

In House floor voters, the congresswoman in 2019 and 2020 backed amendments to protect all state marijuana programs from federal intervention. In 2022, she voted in favor of legislation to expand medical cannabis research that was ultimately signed into law by then-President Joe Biden.

This session, meanwhile, the congresswoman filed a bill that would require Elon Musk and other workers at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk has since left, to submit to drug testing to maintain their “special government employee” status.

Outside of marijuana, Sherrill joined other bipartisan congressional lawmakers in 2023 in asking leadership to instruct federal health agencies to include active duty military service members in psychedelic studies.

Ciattarelli, meanwhile, has expressed support for allowing home cultivation for medical cannabis patients, but recently resurfaced comments reveal that he’s historically been hostile to reform, characterizing marijuana as a “gateway drug” during a 2021 town hall event when he previously ran for governor.

He also said at the time that, if New Jersey’s voter-approved recreational legalization law proved to be a “disaster,” he would look into reversing the policy, possibly by putting a measure on the ballot to roll back the law.

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Meanwhile in New Jersey, as the state’s first marijuana consumption lounges started opening, regulators have shared information about where to find the sites and offered tips about how to responsibly use cannabis at the licensed businesses—including classic stoner cultural customs like “puff, puff, pass.”

New Jersey officials also recently completed the curriculum of a no-cost marijuana training academy that’s meant to support entrepreneurs interested in entering the cannabis industry.

Separately, New Jersey Senate President Nick Scutari (D) filed a bill that would re-criminalize purchasing marijuana from unlicensed sources—one of the latest attempts to crack down on the illicit market and steer adults toward licensed retailers.

In March, a former New Jersey Senate leader unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination this year said “it is time” to give medical marijuana patients an option to grow their own cannabis plants for personal use. He also pledged to expand clemency for people impacted by marijuana criminalization if elected, and he expressed support for the establishment of cannabis consumption lounges.

The comments from Steve Sweeney, who was the longest-serving Senate president in the state’s history, on home grow depart from what current Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has said on multiple occasions, arguing that the state’s adult-use marijuana market needs to further mature before home grow is authorized.

Seemingly contradicting that claim, dozens of New Jersey small marijuana businesses and advocacy groups recently called on the legislature to allow adults to cultivate their own cannabis.

Photo courtesy of Max Pixel.

For a long time, cannabis culture lived off the grid. Quiet. Misread. Filtered through people who never rolled it, grew it, or passed it with intention. But inside the circle, there was always a different truth.

Proper Smoke Network rolls in from Lance of First Smoke of the Day and Adam of Proper Doinks. Two builders from inside the room, not tourists at the window. A platform born from seshes, trim tables and late-night plotting. The thesis is the heartbeat of the project. “Cannabis isn’t just a product, it’s a culture. A lifestyle. A family.”

Then the reveal. “My new partner, Adam from Proper Doinks, and I (Lance) are launching Proper Smoke Network (PSN), a counterculture media network built for smokers, by smokers.” If you need the quick picture, they already sketched it.

Author’s note: High Times has been a home for real cannabis culture for generations. It feels really good to see more family stepping up from within the circle. When the real ones build, the culture gets stronger. The rising tide and such!

A Partnership Sparked by Passion

Lance built First Smoke of the Day with one intention: “to give cannabis its VOICE. Raw, real, authentic conversations with the people on the front lines who shaped cannabis culture history.”

Adam turned Proper Doinks into a cultural phenomenon long before PSN was born. His lane was clear and respected. “His passion and focused attentiveness towards the connoisseurs and enthusiasts while educating anyone in his path is unmatched.” The energy aligned instantly. “A mission that made me feel at home and in line with the principles of First Smoke of the Day.”

From the first link-up, the road ahead felt obvious. “When we connected, the vision was instant: Build a network that empowers creators in our industry and celebrates cannabis through storytelling, entertainment, education and competition.” PSN, in their words, is “a home where cannabis finally gets the spotlight it deserves.”

Educate. Entertain. Empower.

PSN is not trying to shout into the void of weed content. It wants to raise the IQ of the culture and make it enjoyable in the process. As the founders put it, “At PSN, we know when the consumer gets smarter and cares more, the industry gets better. So our content does more than entertain, it elevates.”

The first shows hit screens next month. A few of the standouts:

Budtender Battle

“A show that rewards knowledge and passion on the retail front lines, battling it out for winner-take-all dispensary vs. dispensary.”

The Roller’s Show

Two titans of rolling sit down to showcase the craft at its highest level. “Two of the biggest names in professional rolling coming together to spotlight the art, precision, and creativity behind rolling as well as the competitive side.” Expect breakdowns of “The Flavor Pairings, how they change, and all the intricacies of flavor pairings flower and hash all while rolling perfectly crafted rolls.”

Hot Slices

“A new Concept of the show ‘Hot Slices’ where JP of GoodPizza Pod hosts two Brands to battle head-to-head batches face-to-face.”

Cannabis in Sports

A real conversation space for athletes. “Adam, Paul and Lance coming together giving Pro athletes a space to talk openly about cannabis in sports, how it helps them, the good and bad, also how they find balance along with the journey as an athlete all while watching a sporting event that they relate to.”

The purpose behind every show is consistent. “Each show is based on connecting, inspiring, informing, entertaining and provoking conversation and dialogue. Every episode pushes cannabis culture forward, positively teaching people how to appreciate the plant while celebrating the people behind it.”

Built by Family, for Family

The network grows out of the same soil that nurtured the First Smoke of the Day community. “Everything we do comes back to community, what we call all our listeners, the First Smoke Family.” That community is not abstract. It reunites in real life. “Each year, our Family Reunion brings together guests, listeners, and supporters for one purpose: Connection.”

PSN expands that circle. “Whether you’re new to cannabis or have been in the game for decades, this network is for you. It’s where education meets entertainment and where every smoker feels at home.”

The Future Is Lit

PSN is not a side project or a content page. It is a cultural stance. “We’re not just building a media company, we’re changing how cannabis is represented, taught, thought of and celebrated.”

They see the momentum clearly. “With Adam and the entire Proper Doinks team’s creativity and the powerhouse of First Smoke of the Day, the future of cannabis media is brighter than ever.”

At its core, PSN is a correction to years of watered-down, outsider-filtered media. “Because cannabis deserves its own network and the world’s finally ready for it.”

Welcome to Proper Smoke Network. “Where culture meets cannabis, and every smoker has a voice.”

“If you smoked a joint when you were 18, in 2002, in your 40s, you should not have barriers to housing, or employment, or public services.”

By Jake Zuckerman, Signal Cleveland

This story was originally published by Signal Cleveland. Sign up for their free newsletters at SignalCleveland.org/subscribe.

Some of the tens of thousands of Ohioans dogged by dated marijuana possession offenses could clear their names under new legislation passed by the State House on Wednesday.

The bill would allow expungement, a legal process that erases prior convictions from one’s record, which can impair housing and job applications even years later. It only applies for crimes of possessing less than 2.5 ounces of marijuana, which voters legalized in 2023.

The expungement provision passed within larger legislation on a bipartisan 87-8 vote that sets new rules on the sale of recreational marijuana and so-called “intoxicating hemp” marijuana knockoffs.

More than 16,000 possession arrests per year in Ohio

For most of the 21st century, an average of 16,000 Ohioans would be arrested each year (not necessarily convicted), according to FBI data. The numbers began to fall in 2019, when Ohio first allowed for the medicinal use of marijuana, followed by recreational use in 2023.

While President Joe Biden in 2022 issued a blanket pardon for federal marijuana offenses, state level convictions have festered since then. The House-passed bill paves the way to expungement for many of those with convictions lingering on their records.

“If you smoked a joint when you were 18, in 2002, in your 40s, you should not have barriers to housing, or employment, or public services, because you got in trouble when you were 18 for something that is completely legal,” said Rep. Dani Isaacsohn, the ranking House Democrat, in a floor speech Wednesday.

How to apply for expungement under the bill

Expungements didn’t go as far as some Democratic lawmakers and the ACLU wanted. Rep. Desiree Tims, a Dayton Democrat, said in committee the bill should have an automatic expungement mechanism, or at least a system to notify affected people that the new option is available. Plus, the application comes with a $50 fee that some can’t afford, she said.

Rep. Josh Williams, a Toledo Republican and attorney who regularly champions expungement policy, said a recent Ohio Supreme Court decision effectively tied lawmakers hands on the issue and requires them to leave judges some discretion. However, he said SB56 gives defendants every advantage possible while still likely passing court muster.

“I think we tilted the scales in favor of the defendant as much as we could,” he said in an interview.

Legislative leaders indicated Wednesday that House and Senate members will need to negotiate a final package to send to Gov. Mike DeWine (R) for his signature. This means the legislation, including the expungement language, could change dramatically from here.

Ohio law already allows for expungement for a broad stretch of offenses. However, the new process laid out in SB 56 is tailor-made around marijuana cases. And according to House Finance Chairman Brian Stewart, a Republican and key negotiator, a judge is largely forced to grant an application unless the county prosecutor objects. Williams added that the marijuana-specific filings are likely cheaper, and the legal test is weighted toward favoring the defendant.

To get a conviction expunged, applicants would need to submit paperwork in the courthouse they were convicted in to show that their offense stemmed from 2.5 ounces of marijuana or less.

The legislation gives county prosecutors, who run in partisan elections every four years, broad discretion to file objections for any reason. From there, judges would have 45 to 90 days to hold a hearing and weigh the two sides against each other.