Adult-Use Recreational Cannabis Legalized
On November 3, 2020, New Jersey voters approved a ballot measure (Public Question No. 1) legalizing cannabis for adults. The ballot measure, which originated from state legislation (NJ SCR 183), amends the state’s constitution and legalizes the growth, cultivation, processing, manufacturing, preparing, packaging, transferring, and retail purchasing and consumption of cannabis or cannabis products by adults at least 21 years old.
Under the law, cannabis is the plant genus Cannabis L. and all its parts—whether growing or not—its seeds, and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant or its seeds. However, it is not:
- Cannabis legally dispensed and consumed for medical purposes;
- Hemp or hemp products subject to the New Jersey Hemp Farming Act; or
- Unregulated cannabis, referred to as marijuana, and products created from or that include marijuana.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission is expected to provide more information and guidance on the law. It is effective on January 1, 2021.