The Senate and Assembly committees are holding legislative hearings today which could lead to the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey for adult use.
Under this bill, marijuana would be taxed at 12%, which could help the state generate substantial funding for its fight against opioid addiction and more. Under the proposed possession laws, adults 21 and older would be allowed to possess up to one ounce of marijuana.
If this cannabis legalization bill is approved today in the joint session of the Senate and Assembly budget committees, the next stop would be floor votes, followed by a signature from Governor Phil Murphy to turn it into law.
If all of that happens, recreational marijuana could be legal in New Jersey as soon as January 2019.
With a population of over 9 million people, New Jersey would be the third largest state in the U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana.
| Recreational Legal State | 2018 Population |
| California | 39,776,830 |
| Michigan | 9,991,177 |
| New Jersey* | 9,032,872 |
| Washington | 7,530,552 |
| Massachusetts | 6,895,917 |
| Colorado | 5,684,203 |
| Oregon | 4,199,563 |
| Nevada | 3,056,824 |
| Maine | 1,341,582 |
| Alaska | 738,068 |
| Vermont | 623,960 |
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