Recreational or medicinal? Recreational. New Jersey legalized cannabis for medicinal use in 2010.
What are the details? New Jersey Public Question 1 would legalize the sale and possession of cannabis for adult use (21 and over). Details about possession limits would be hashed out after passage by the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which was established in 2019 when the state revamped its medical cannabis program.
What else? Cannabis products would only be taxed at the 6.625 percent state sales tax rate, although local governments would have the option of slapping on an additional 2 percent. Recreational cannabis figures to be a boon for the state’s economy considering its proximity to New York and Pennsylvania, which have yet to pass legalization measures. The low tax rate should help New Jersey dispensaries compete against the area’s robust black market.
Will it pass? Almost certainly. Though a ballot measure to legalize cannabis failed to pass in 2018, recent polling found that 65 percent of voters are in favor of Public Question 1, while just 29 percent are opposed.