Likely Legalization of Marijuana in New Jersey

More than half of N.J voters will probably vote a resounding yes on a ballot question which seeks to approve the legalization of marijuana to be used by people twenty-one and above.

The DKC Analytics conducted a poll called the Brach Eichler Cannabis Poll and the results were released to the public. It showed that nearly 68% of five hundred N.J eligible voters supported the legalization through ballot. However, the Democrats favored the poll more than Republicans, Independents fell somewhere in the middle.

In Monmouth University, another poll was conducted around April and it was found that 61% of the people agreed that Yes would be their vote on the question.

John Fanburg, a co-chair of the Brach Eichler law firm had this to say, “People are getting more used to the issue and they’re getting more comfortable with what may be happening. It’s taken a while for people to kind of wrap their heads around. I think the economic impact on people, the social justice aspect – isn’t going away. It’s time to look at this, perhaps more rationally and let’s regulate it.”

By November, another ballot question will ask voters if they would approve of New Jersey legalizing marijuana and including the sales tax to each purchase. This question is coming after years of failed attempts to make weed legal through the legislature.

Although hundreds of people are in agreement with the legalization, a notable few will decide to actually go into the business of marijuana cultivation and distribution. This is obvious because 57% of the voters said that they do not use weed and only 17% are users. 14% of the respondents had used it in the past and 9% voted YES to try weed if it was made legal.

Several of the respondents were questioned around July, in the heat of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement and the mass incarceration of Blacks along with Police brutality. At that time, over two-thirds of the respondents disapproved of the incarceration of marijuana users. Only 7% agreed that distributors and dealers should be dealt with, according to the full extent of the law. Another 6.8% agreed that users and distributors should be incarcerated.

However, Charles Gormally, a co-chair at the Cannabis law at Brach Eichler says, “We’ve come to realize that disadvantaged minority populations are on the receiving end of this. Money wasn’t the lead off issue. Social justice was up there. I think the environment is right for it.” He said.

With the legalization of marijuana, Black Markets will be stamped out, this was one of the major reasons why the respondents voted YES. Legalization will bring job creation and increased tax revenue along with it and the weed quality will definitely improve.

In the end, it is near impossible to determine how much money the sale of weed will bring in to aid the economy of New Jersey. Some of the respondents were concerned that legalization will bring ease of access allowing children to consume it and increase in the number of people driving under the influence. Generally, the poll results have been great so far, and as the election draws near, it is safe to say that legalization is close.