Monmouth University

History of marijuana legalization in New Jersey

In New Jersey, only medical cannabis is legal yet. Though Governor Philip D. Murphy along with other Democrats tried several times to regulate recreational cannabis, they failed to gather enough support to pass the bill.

“We finally got an agreement with the administration, just when I got here today,” said Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3), referring to marijuana legalization.

“We agreed to the concept of a bill,” Sweeney told the packed room here at Monmouth University. “Our goal is March 25th. Good news is we have agreement on a bill. I don’t know whether we have 21 or 41 at this point.

Fifty-nine percent of residents now support allowing adults to possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use, while 37 percent are opposed, the poll from Monmouth University found. That’s an 11-point swing from Monmouth poll results four years earlier, when support stood at 48 percent and opposition at 47 percent.