Consider two towns in Middlesex County, New Brunswick and East Brunswick. In New Brunswick, more than three-quarters of residents voted in favor of legalization, the majority of the population is made up of minorities, and the median household income is below the state average, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In nearby East Brunswick, close to two-thirds of residents voted in favor of legalization, the population is white majority, and the median household income is above $100,000.
New Brunswick allows the sale of recreational marijuana; East Brunswick banned it.
In Mercer County. over 80% of Trenton residents voted in favor of legalization. About half the population is Black and the median household income is well below the state average. A few miles away in Princeton, three-quarters of residents voted for legalization, the majority of the population is white, and the median household income is well over $100,000. The Trenton City Council approved recreational marijuana sales whereas Princeton opted out of the market.
In effect, about 70% of the state remains closed off from marijuana sales, despite the fact that voters approved legalization by nearly the same margin in a November 2020 referendum. This has limited the available space for aspiring business owners. In tandem with a complicated, lengthy licensing process and an inflated real estate market, that has made it especially difficult for minorities and first-time retailers to get started.