Governor Phil Murphy today slapped down the narrative that he’s been disengaged from the legislative process on marijuana legalization.

“I’ve been talking to not just legislators [for years],” Murphy said in Fort Lee. “I had a whole series of discussions this morning.”

He did acknowledge it will be tough.

The Appropriations Committee this afternoon is set to consider a bill revising requirements to authorize and access medical cannabis and the big one: “New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act”; which would legalize personal use cannabis for adults and create the Cannabis Regulatory Commission to regulate personal use and medical cannabis; provides expungement relief for certain past marijuana offenses.

“There’s no question it’s going to take a village on this one,” the governor said. “I am all in on this. We have to get this done.

“The conversations have been good but we’re not there yet,” he noted.

“We’re going to have to put everything into this,” the governor added. “There is only one state in America that has done this legislatively. Public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of this. We’re not only expunging and undoing a whole lot of social injustices but creating a new industry. This is not an easy lift.”

It will get through appropriations today, sources say.