Legalization of Weed in New Jersey

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Briella Kellish, Writer

Just this past week,on December 4, 2020, the legalization of marijuana was passed. NJ.com states that only thirty-seven licenses will be given out in the state of New Jersey to marijuanna farms in the first two years of legal sales. 

The legalization of recreational marijuana was a long, hard process but finally recreational marijuana was approved and is now putting pressure on neighboring states such as New York. According to New Jersey Public Question, 2,737,682 people voted yes to legalize marijuana which is 67.08%, and only 1,343,610 voted no which was a percentage of 32.92. The legalization of marijuana added an amendment to the state constitution that legalizes marijuana.New Jersey Public Question also states, 

“New Jersey was the first state in the Mid-Atlantic to legalize marijuana.”

According to CNN, “History shows that it could take months or, in some cases, years for the first regulated sales to take place. It takes time to develop regulatory programs; establish testing, tracking and safety protocols; build supply chains; license operators; and, of course, grow the plants.” 

The legalization of marijuanna will start on January 1, 2021, and will be monitored to see if adult-use sales will be able to happen by the end of next year. Just last month, the state of New Jersey voted with excitement for the legalization of marijuanna. In order to purchase marijuanna buyers must be 21 years of age or older to be able to purchase from licensed dispensaries. 

According to NJ merijuana Legalization, “Revenue from that tax would go toward the state government and particularly to reimburse police departments for the costs of training new Drug Recognition Experts to determine if drivers are under the influence of drugs, including marijuana.”

This quote is saying that the money from the tax on marijuana will go to Police Departments in order to give them the proper training that is required now. Because of the new law in which marijuana is legal, the Police Departments have new training they must go through in order to be able to assess the situation fairly and effectively. 

The law to legalize marijuana took a while to pass but it finally did, and many New Jerseyans are very happy with the outcome of the votes.