Nearly 36,000 people were arrested on marijuana charges in New Jersey in 2016, more than 32,000 of them for marijuana possession. That's about twice the number of people that live in Asbury Park.
Those charges, mostly for possession of small amounts of marijuana, often have huge impacts on the people arrested. A marijuana conviction can cause people to lose their housing, prevent them from getting financial aid, or even lose their driver's license.
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Zebrowski also said he thinks today's marijuana is a lot skunkier than it used to be, leading to more arrests.
"Today's marijuana is so strong in odor that in any police encounter when someone has marijuana it will immediately be detected," he said. But New Jersey's marijuana likely isn't any more stinky than weed in other states, so Zebrowski's reasoning doesn't explain the huge surge in marijuana arrests unique to Jersey.
Nick Bucci, a retired State Police officer now with Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a group that advocates for reforms in criminal justice and drug policy, said New Jersey's spike in marijuana arrests is at least partly due to the previous governor.
Former Gov. Chris Christie "had this thing in his craw about marijuana and he pushed for those arrests," Bucci said, adding that Christie's firm opposition to marijuana was implicit instruction for police across the state to step up arrests.