This April 20, stoners across New Jersey will rejoice as they pull out their lighters and prepare to spend an ungodly amount of money on snacks in the middle of the night. After years of apprehension, marijuana was legalized in New Jersey by Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.), opening the door to the recreational usage of the substance to all over 21.
This landmark decision was celebrated not only due to the many highs it sparked but also because it marked the end to at least one segment of the war on drugs.
This domestic war targeted the Black and Brown communities in our state and more often than not centralized on impoverished communities. "In New Jersey, Black residents are more than three times as likely as white residents to be charged with marijuana possession, in spite of similar rates of usage,” according to The New York Times.
The legalization of marijuana means that the criminal justice system will have one less tool to hold over the heads of vulnerable populations. Nonetheless, there is still one window that allows for punishing weed-smokers: the 18 to 21-year-old range.
This strange age gap both abandons juvenile records while also not granting you all the liberties of adulthood, leaves courts in the awkward position of punishing someone as an adult for not being old enough to smoke legally.
