Making cannabis legalization a key part of his campaign, following the victory of Democrat Phil Murphy in the New Jersey gubernatorial election, the Garden State could see legal marijuana as soon as April. Here are all the details.
The Garden State is about to get a little greener, thanks to the victory of Democratic candidate Phil Murphy in the New Jersey gubernatorial election. Nevertheless, “The Hydroponics State” doesn’t roll off the tongue quite like “The Garden State.”
Cannabis legalization was a key part of the incoming governor’s campaign platform. Way before his victory last Tuesday, back in June the democrat Phil Murphy had said:
“The criminalization of marijuana has only served to clog our courts and cloud people’s futures, so we will legalize marijuana, […] And while there are financial benefits, this is overwhelmingly about doing what is right and just.”
Last June a bill to legalize cannabis was introduced into the New Jersey Senate by State Senator Nicholas Scutari, but with the promise of Governor Chris Christie remaining in office, it had little to no chance of passing. Phil Murphy’s election victory significantly changes that.
In a recent article in the Washington Examiner, New Jersey Senate President, Stephen Sweeney, stated that he was confident that a marijuana legalization bill will be signed into law by April, saying:
“This is something Murphy supports and I support it and I don’t think anyone is going to go out of their way to embarrass the governor, […] It’s a priority and it’s something we’re going to need to do.”
Now Democrats have control of the state’s legislature and are making the cannabis legalization a key part of their agenda going into 2018, it’s looking more and more likely it will come to pass. And why wouldn’t it? In October, a Gallup poll revealed a record high 64% of Americans support the legalization of marijuana.
New Jersey could become the ninth state in the country to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The good news for New Yorkers… it’s only a stone’s throw away.
Featured image source [Flickr | Cannabis Culture]