New Jersey’s S4847 Bill Would Reshape Cannabis Rules, CRC Power, and Town Control

12 November 2025

New Jersey may reshape its cannabis system again. Senate President Nicholas Scutari has introduced S4847, a bill that would widen where adult-use cannabis can be sold, change how the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) operates, and push state police to act more often against unlicensed shops.

The bill arrives as Gov. Phil Murphy nears the end of his term on January 20. Voters backed legalization in 2020, and adult-use sales began in April 2022. The market has grown, but towns took different paths. About seventy percent opted out of recreational sales, even as some allowed medical shops. At the same time, patient counts in the medical program have dropped as adult-use products became easier to buy.

A major shift in S4847 would let medical dispensaries apply for adult-use Class 5 retail licenses without local approval. This would apply even in towns that banned adult-use sales, as long as medical sales are already allowed. A medical dispensary that has operated for at least 180 days without violations could not be blocked from adding adult-use sales. Those operating when CREAMMA took effect would not face local caps on store numbers or locations.

This change may widen access to adult-use cannabis, especially in towns that allow medical care but not recreational shops. It may also reduce local control in places used to strong zoning power.

The bill also targets how the CRC works. Current law limits political activity and bars most private meetings between commissioners and applicants. S4847 would loosen both rules. Commissioners who hold local office could campaign during election years if ethics officials find no conflict. Commissioners and staff could attend political events in their official role with written notice to the chair.

The bill would also allow meetings with applicants as long as they take place in approved locations and are logged. These meetings would not qualify as public meetings unless more than one commissioner attends.

Some have raised concerns, by arguing that the meeting change could invite misconduct and does not seem to protect the public interest, noting language that would let state employees and their families work in or invest in cannabis businesses with ethics approval. Supporters point to text that bars any work or investment that conflicts with official duties or creates the appearance of one.

Inside the CRC, power would shift as well. Instead of the governor naming the chair, commissioners would choose one by majority vote. The bill would raise pay for commissioners, the chair, and the executive director to match other senior regulatory jobs.

S4847 also targets the unlicensed market. It directs State Police to create an enforcement program focused on unlicensed cannabis sellers. Officers could identify and shut down these shops, seize products, and send cases for prosecution. Unlicensed sellers could be labeled public nuisances under state or local law.

The bill arrives alongside S4779 from Senator Shirley Turner, which would go further by ending the CRC and giving State Police a larger role. Together, the two bills suggest an active debate over how much oversight should rest with an independent commission and how much with law enforcement.

S4847 has been sent to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and has no co-sponsors or Assembly match. As Senate President, Scutari is well positioned to secure a hearing. The bill may signal a new phase in New Jersey cannabis policy, one that gives medical dispensaries a larger role in adult-use access and expands state enforcement against unlicensed sellers.