Murphy signed the bill at Tommy's Tavern + Tap, a local restaurant, in front of dozens onlookers, many of whom were Honig's friends and family wearing #belikejake T-shirts.
The legislation stops short of making good on Murphy's goal of legalizing recreational marijuana for adults. But it gave the Democratic governor a reprieve from a debate over the budget and tax incentives that has split his party.
The Honig bill didn't travel a straight line either. But it passed the Assembly, 66-to-5, and it passed the Senate, 31-to-5. And the lawmakers effusively praised each other for their hard work.
"The supply-demand imbalance is really starting to choke us," Murphy said. "We can do only so much through executive action. We needed legislation to really open this up."
New Jersey legalized medical marijuana nearly 10 years ago, and it rolled out the program slowly, leaving some patients needing to drive an hour to the nearest dispensary and to dig deep into their pocketbooks to keep their registration cards up to date.