In 2021, New Jersey legalized and decriminalized cannabis. These new laws have great potential to advance racial and social justice. But creating a brand new industry in place of a decades-long regime of prohibition – marked by aggressive, racially discriminatory enforcement – is bound to have growing pains, and bound to raise questions.
The ACLU-NJ answers some frequently asked questions about what the new cannabis laws mean, and what to expect.
What's the difference between "cannabis" and "marijuana"?
In the law, “cannabis” refers to marijuana from licensed cannabis businesses, which is legalized. “Marijuana” refers to cannabis purchased outside of the regulated market, which decriminalized.