Democrat Phil Murphy recently defeated Republican Kim Guadagno in the New Jersey gubernatorial election and is now governor-elect of the state. Controversially, Murphy is an advocate for the legalization of recreational marijuana; he is determined to pass a bill through the state congress achieving this goal soon after his inauguration on January 16, 2018. Although a bill could be passed quickly, the process to finalize the legalization is complicated, especially considering that marijuana is still an illegal substance under federal law(many states ignore this). Consequently, there is really no telling when it will happen. Experts on the subject told NJ Advance Media, “under all the right circumstances, pot could be legalized by the end of 2018. [However,] Any pitfalls could push it into 2019.” In other states, legalization of marijuana has taken anywhere from as little as nine months to as much as two years. Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Maine, and Nevada all fell on the latter end of that time frame. Murphy is hoping for a far shorter legalization process, but he is effectively powerless in controlling its duration. 

Controversy regarding the legalization of Cannabis has risen to prominence in recent years. In New Jersey, in particular, leaders of the 565 municipalities are often unsure of where to stand on the divisive issue. Although the state government would love to reap the financial benefits of this new industry, many fear the collateral and logistical issues that may follow. While the law would be passed statewide, individual towns would then delegate if they would allow sales of marijuana. If a town decides to not legally endorse the sale of marijuana after the state legalizes it, they will not be able to tax the substance, which is expected raise a considerable $300 million in annual tax revenue.

Marijuana has more uses than many realize; it is often used in medical settings to treat, control, or cure certain illnesses. It is also said to help alleviate stress, anxiety, fear, and depression. Some, including Governor-elect Murphy, advocate legalization because marijuana is estimated to be a $1.3 billion market. Additionally, the crime rate and costs of arrests for the government would greatly decrease. Additionally, government regulation would make marijuana safer; as an anonymous legalization advocate points out, “the strands would be made safer and lacing would be eliminated.” Lacing is the act of inserting other, often more dangerous substances into Marijuana. It should be noted that most advocates of recreational Marijuana legalization oppose allowing minors to use the substance. 

The Patriot Press asked Wayne Hills students to opine on the topic in an anonymous poll.

The poll asked whether or not marijuana should be legal, and asked poll-takers to provide an explanation for their response. Out of 68 responses, 72.1% supported the legalization for medical reasons (medical Marijuana is already legal in New Jersey), to lower the crime rate by eliminating marijuana possession offenses, because of the tax revenue it would produce, and so it could be used therapeutically and recreationally. They also argued that, unlike alcohol and tobacco products, which are legal, no one has ever died from a marijuana overdose. The remaining 27.9% of poll-takers, all of whom responded no, feel legalization will allow more people to use (and abuse) the drug, which in turn could lead to the abuse of harder drugs. One of the most outspoken opponents wrote that “all of society will become lazy potheads, and we don’t want to live around a bunch of potheads.”