Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, who sponsored the bill, said nothing he has done as a legislator will have a greater impact on residents.
“Not just the business opportunities and the job creation but, more importantly, the arrests, the criminal justice system, the things that we won’t see anymore, the opportunities that people will have that they would not have had,” Scutari said.
The bill now goes to Gov. Phil Murphy, who has championed legalizing recreational marijuana and who reached a deal with lawmakers on the final version of the bill, for his signature.
Social justice advocates praised the legislation, which they said addressed the harm done by the War on Drugs to communities of color, which face higher rates of arrest for marijuana possession in New Jersey than their white counterparts.
“This is just the first step in restoring justice for communities that have been most devastated by the War on Drugs across our state for decades,” said Reverend Dr. Charles F. Boyer, founding director of the nonprofit Salvation and Social Justice. “And while our work to repair the damage done by the drug war is far from over, today is a moment for celebration.”