New Jersey Faces One More Cannabis Legalization Vote On Tuesday
Advocates are patiently waiting the implementation of a regulated cannabis industry
One candidate for governor—incumbent Phil Murphy, a Democrat—has overseen the passage of legalization and the forward, if imperfect, progress toward the opening of the state’s retail market. The other candidate—Republican Jack Ciattarelli—is openly hostile to cannabis and wants to repeal legalization because he wants cops to arrest more weed smokers.
It’s a pretty stark contrast.
Good problems to have
For most New Jersey residents, there are still problems with legal cannabis in the Garden State: It took too long to happen, too many towns have banned retail sales, home grow isn’t allowed, there’s not enough support for equity businesses, and it’s still going to be months before the first adult-use stores open to the public.
Way back in 2017, Phil Murphy ran for governor promising to pass cannabis legalization “in his first 100 days.” He got elected, then spent the next three years trying to push a bill through the state legislature, without success. New Jersey Republicans largely opposed legalization, while Murphy’s fellow Democrats engaged in endless negotiations over different aspects of competing plans.
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