New Jersey joined 18 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing the recreational use of cannabis and legal sales were allowed for the first time on Thursday. The state had already legalized medical cannabis.
New Jersey citizens had voted in favor of recreational use back in November 2020, but it took nearly a year and a half for adults to legally be able to buy marijuana from the state’s seven companies and 13 medical marijuana dispensaries.
Before receiving the go-ahead to start selling recreational marijuana, the companies had to indicate that they were able to produce enough to ensure that people who needed cannabis for medical reasons would not be affected by the influx of sales from those seeking it out for recreational use.
The price of marijuana currently sits at around $340 per ounce, but the state said that number will likely decrease as the approved companies get more competition.
Gov. Phil Murphy (D-New Jersey) called it a “historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry.”
