As New Jersey residents 21 and over enjoy the convenience and freedom of legalized, recreational-use cannabis, it’s almost impossible to imagine it was recently not an option.
Yes—you could’ve been arrested for smoking a joint only four years ago and dealt with the world of legal troubles that followed.
Fortunately, legality has ushered in an era of enlightenment and a sea of opportunities for adults to experience the many benefits of cannabis.
Let’s examine New Jersey’s cannabis history to see how far the Garden State has come with legalized usage and sales in recent years.
Going Way Back
Before any legal dispensaries were open in New Jersey, we can confidently tell you that cannabis had a strong presence in the Garden State. Data compiled in 2021 showed 45.2% of men and 35.8% of women consumed cannabis prior to legalization [1].
It should then be unsurprising to hear that 31,663 possession arrests were recorded in New Jersey in 2017, the most the state has ever seen. Nixon’s war on drugs should’ve ended during Watergate, but it’s only ever seemed to persist through the years.
Go back to data from 2001, and a report from the justice department shows cannabis as the most “commonly abused legal drug” in the Garden State [2].
Therefore, it goes without saying that New Jersey has long had a budding cannabis culture. This notion rings true, even as enthusiasts and activists faced unjust arrests for consuming their beloved plant.
Then, consider that New Jersey legalized medicinal cannabis back in 2010—that’s before many other states got on board. This tidbit further proves our beloved state is a low-key trailblazer in the cannabis legalization scene.
With illegality making it difficult for recreational cannabis lovers, activism has long been at the core of driving legalization. The likes of Ed “Weedman” Fourchon (and many more) have been fighting the good fight since the 90s—namely, those who’ve been wronged by draconian, fascistic cannabis laws [3].
Speaking more to our ghosts of cannabis legalization’s past, Nicolas Scutari, the man who helped legalize recreational cannabis usage for adults, declared he would do so back in 2004 [4].
In short, cannabis has long been present in the Garden State, and legalization had been bubbling at the surface for many years before it finally came to fruition.
The Slow Road To Legalization
The story about cannabis legalization seems like a broken record. We’ve all seen that movie a thousand times:
Stodgier, behind-the-times lawmakers with more rigid viewpoints tend not to budge when you offer ideas that buck the norm, while young, forward-thinkers seek to move things forward.
In the instance of cannabis in New Jersey, in 2004, when inexperienced senator Nicholas Scutari told some of his more established colleagues of his designs to legalize cannabis, they laughed at him. A top senator told him he’d get kicked out of Trenton for mentioning the idea.
Even Gen-Xers with legal influence weren’t so open to the idea of cannabis legalization, having been influenced by anti-drug commercials (of the ‘this is your brain on drugs’ variety).
It’s been a long road with far too many possession-related arrests and even more social inequity. People of color are disproportionately targeted and face the brunt of punitive action from the police force—a driving force for activists and their legalization efforts.
Scutari’s efforts and those of many other activists started to pay off in 2010 when former Governor Jon Corzine signed legal medical marijuana legislation. It was one of his final acts before being replaced by Republican Chris Christie, who didn’t care for the law and slowed down its rollout. As such, the medical cannabis program in New Jersey has been notably anemic over the years.
Once Democrat Phil Murphy succeeded Christie in 2018, momentum for legalized recreational cannabis sales and usage picked back up.
The rest—as they say—is history. We’ll delve further into said history in the next section.
The Dawn Of Cannabis Legalization In New Jersey
While lawmakers in New Jersey and several influential figures might not have always been so open to cannabis legalization, New Jersey’s residents have always had a different view.
So, when then-Senate President Stephen Sweeney (with the help of future-president Nicolas Scutari) introduced a constitutional amendment to appear on the 2020 election ballet, New Jersey’s people voted ‘yes’ [5].
The first legal dispensaries then opened in April 2022.
In retrospect, this might not seem like a big deal—especially as it seems like every state and its neighbor has legalized recreational cannabis for adults.
But don’t let widespread cannabis legalization fool you. New Jersey is a trailblazer in the cannabis space—we were the first in the Mid-Atlantic region to legalize recreational cannabis.
Also, New Jersey was only the 14th state to legalize cannabis. Considering the US only has 50 states, we’d surmise that puts the Garden State ahead of the pack in its forward thinking.
The Fight Never Ends
While legalized cannabis continues to charge forward with freight train-like momentum in the Garden State, we aren’t yet living in a perfect world.
For instance, the ambiguity of edible legalization remains. While products that resemble and embody edibles are available on the market, you can’t necessarily sell people cannabis products that resemble food.
Hopefully, as time passes, reason will prevail with such laws—making it easier for shoppers and dispensaries alike.
Additionally, the fight for specific types of legalization rages on. Namely, there’s a push to legalize home cultivation, and it’s getting heated [6]. Interestingly, Nicholas Scutari—a forefather of statewide cannabis legalization—is under the crosshairs of activists for stifling legalized home growing.
The Future Is Bright For Cannabis In The Garden State
If you had a time machine, traveled back to the war on drugs era, and told a cannabis enthusiast we’d be where we are today, they’d think you were playing a joke on them.
Yet, here we are. Adults twenty-one and over in New Jersey can walk into legal dispensaries or visit websites and purchase cannabis without a care in the world. Of course, responsible use remains a factor, so you have to be a little careful. Still, the opportunities are endless for all adult cannabis enthusiasts in New Jersey.
Leverage your boundless cannabis opportunities in New Jersey by visiting Enlighten Dispensary today!
Sources
- https://policylab.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NJSPL-Cannabis-Feb2022.pdf
- https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs0/669/marijuan.htm
- https://whyy.org/episodes/nj-voters-legalized-recreational-marijuana-but-the-fight-isnt-over/
- https://www.nj.com/politics/2022/02/the-guy-who-helped-legalize-nj-weed-suddenly-became-senate-president-and-yeah-hes-still-surprised.html
- https://www.app.com/story/news/local/new-jersey/marijuana/2019/11/18/new-jersey-marijuana-legalization-legal-weed-2020-election-sweeney-phil-murphy/4231524002/
- https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-jersey-lawmakers-and-marijuana-activists-push-to-legalize-home-cultivation-which-is-still-a-felony/#:~:text=Chris%20Goldstein%20is%20an%20organizer,cannabis%20activist%20in%20New%20Jersey.