More than one year after the legalization of recreational marijuana, New Jersey residents say the smell of weed has permeated public spaces and even their homes, according to a Stockton University Poll released today.
But few said they are bothered by the smell and most seem reluctant to criticize others for using legal weed, the findings show.
A majority of 57% of New Jersey adults reported smelling marijuana in public spaces often (28%) or sometimes (29%). One-third (32%) smell cannabis rarely, and only 9% said they have never smelled weed in public settings.
Not much thought was given to the issue of the smell of marijuana becoming part of the public landscape in New Jersey. There are hardly any places to legally consume these products, so people are lighting up in parks, at festivals, in parking lots and on the street.”
The scent of weed has infiltrated some residents’ homes. About 29% have caught a whiff coming from a neighboring house or apartment often (14%) or sometimes (15%), while 21% said they rarely smell it at home and 49% said they never do.
While a majority (52%) of New Jersey adults are not bothered by the smell, one in five (19%) said it bothers them a great deal and 28% said it bothers them slightly. Nonusers were much more likely to be bothered by the smell, the poll found.
The poll of nearly 600 residents was released by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University and has a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points.