Dear Members of the New Jersey Legislature,
For far too long, the prohibition of cannabis has devastated communities across New Jersey. In that time, the prohibition of cannabis has intensified racial disparities in the criminal justice system and arrests have skyrocketed. In 2017 alone, New Jersey saw nearly 38,000 arrests for marijuana-related offenses.
In legalizing through legislation, New Jersey would create a regulatory framework to protect the public health and safety of communities, bolster economic opportunity, and establish critical racial and social justice provisions. In short, it would create a regulated market with employment opportunities, generate an estimated $300 million in annual state tax revenue that would benefit our local communities, and address the glaring racial disparities of cannabis-related arrests and convictions.