TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Governor-Elect Phil Murphy campaigned on a pledge to legalize and regulate the adult use of cannabis in New Jersey.
The incoming Democrat governor replaces Chris Christie, a Republican, who publicly opposed liberalizing adult use marijuana penalties.
Commenting on Murphy’s election win last week, NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri said, “NORML looks forward to working with Governor-Elect Murphy and other stakeholders in the state to end the disastrous policy of marijuana prohibition and to implement the moral, economic, and scientifically sound policy of legalization and regulation in the Garden State.”
According to polling, 65 percent of New Jersey voters “support the legalization of marijuana.”
Senate President Stephen Sweeney said that he intends to move an adult use regulation measure to the Governor’s desk within the first hundred days of the new administration. By contrast, newly appointed Assembly speaker Craig Coughlin has called for committee hearings to further debate the issue.
Eight states have enacted laws regulating the adult use and retail sale of cannabis. Each of those states did so via the passage of voter-initiated ballot measures. To date, no state has enacted adult use regulation by a legislative vote.
Tags: New Jersey, New Jersey marijuana legalization, Phil Murphy
