Good morning, New Jersey!
The east coast state is the latest to open up a legal recreational market
Lauren Robertson | | News
That’s right – as of April 21, New Jersey residents now have access to legal recreational cannabis. Though it’s somewhat comical (or harsh?) that sales kicked off a day after the (un)official 4/20 celebrations, this didn’t seem to dampen people’s spirits. Neither did the vast queues that formed outside the dozen or so approved stores.
According to reports, excitement was in the air – unsurprising given that many people have waited for this day most of their adult lives. Yep, “Cannabis Christmas” had finally arrived in New Jersey, with one customer teasing that he’d “left out milk and cookies for Willie Nelson last night.”
Joking aside, the state is leading the way for many on the east coast – particularly its New York neighbors who are still yet to launch a licensed market despite legalizing recreational sales last year. And it’s clear the benefits of this move will be far-reaching: the taxes from marijuana sales will go towards Black and Latino neighborhoods that have historically been affected by cannabis-related arrests. Gov. Philip Murphy is even quoted as saying recreational sales would help New Jersey “stand as a model for other states in the nation, not just in ensuring racial, social, and economic equity and justice, but in ensuring a viable long-term framework for the industry at large.” Here’s hoping.
If you’re based in New Jersey, let us know how you feel waking up to a legal recreational cannabis market! Send your thoughts (or general musings) to: [email protected].
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