State Senator Ronald L. Rice (D-28) on Wednesday night said he favors putting the marijuana legalization issue to a ballot question.

“Let the people decide,” said the veteran Newark-based Senator. “It doesn’t have to be binding.”

Rice, who has authored his own alternative decriminalization bill as a counterpoint to Senator NIck Scutari’s (D-22) legalization bill, made his remarks at a forum on the subject co-sponsored and moderated by InsiderNJ.

The senator said he believes a marijuana legalization ballot question would fail.

“Decriminalization you don’t have to put on the ballot because they favor that but marijuana legalization is another matter,” Rice said.

Also participating in the program, Assemblyman Jamel Holley (D-20), for his part, said he does not believe marijuana legalization would pass this year, and said he was open to entertaining language in an updated bill that would contain greater protections for youth.

Holley supports Scutari’s bill.

A third lawmaker at the forum, Assemblywoman Angela McKnight (D-31), said she is undecided on the issue at present and still gathering information about pros and cons.