Murphy told The Hill in December that the “biggest driver” for him in terms of marijuana legalization was social justice.
“We have to remind folks that we're not inventing marijuana, that it exists. What we're trying to do is trying to undo the social injustices, take the business out of the hand of the bad guys, protect our kids, regulate it, tax it. It's not going away,” he said at the time.
The governor echoed Tuesday during his address that the state should attempt to change the law to help those trying to move on from past convictions.
“We must ensure that those with a past mark on their records because of a low-level offense can have that stain removed, so they can move forward to get a stable job or an education,” he said.
New Jersey law currently prohibits the recreational use of marijuana, but allows the use of the drug for medical purposes.