While 65 percent of New Jersey voters overwhelmingly approved legalization last November, state legislators still had some work to do to finalize the specific rules and regulations. The final law, for instance, stipulates that some marijuana-related activities will still be illegal, such as distribution and growing without a license.
There was also much debate over ensuring that a significant portion of the tax revenue from legal marijuana sales went to social justice initiatives that benefitted the largely black and brown communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. Ultimately, legislators decided that 60 percent of tax revenue will be distributed to 20 “impact zones” — cities and towns in New Jersey where old marijuana laws were heavily enforced.
New Jersey’s vote to legalize marijuana was part of another big wave of legalization efforts across the United States, with voters in Arizona and Montana also approving legalization efforts (South Dakota did as well, though a judge struck down the measure earlier this month; an appeal is expected).