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Recreational marijuana sales are officially legal starting today in New Jersey.
“This is a historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry,” Governor Phil Murphy said ahead of the launch.
Eyewitness News was outside RISE on Bloomfield Ave. in Bloomfield, where people lined up ahead of the store’s opening at 6 a.m.
The first customers in line described their excitement about this long-awaited day.
“it was Christmas morning,” said Chris. “I didn’t even sleep tonight. I was, like, working a later night, and I just knew I had to be here. I just want to be part of that. Today is the day that we’re just free to do it without any consequences.”
“It’s a long time coming,” said Melissa. “It’s a day of celebration and I want to be a part of it.”
State regulators have greenlighted permits for seven facilities which, like RISE, already sell medical cannabis, to begin retailing recreational marijuana.
You can only buy one ounce at a time, and you have to be 21 to purchase.
And since marijuana sales are still illegal at the federal level, you are not supposed to take weed bought in New Jersey across state lines into another state.
Here’s a list of the dispensary locations in New Jersey that open beginning Thursday and their store hours
North Jersey:
– Apothecarium, 1865 Springfield, Avenue, Maplewood – 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
– Apothecarium, 55 South Main Street, Phillipsburg – 10am – 8pm
– Ascend Wellness, 174 Route 17 North, Rochelle Park – 10:00AM – 8:00PM
– RISE, 26-48 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield – 6AM TO 9PM
– RISE, 196 3rd Avenue, #3C, Paterson – 6AM TO 9PM
Central Jersey:
– Zen Leaf, 117 Sprint Street, Elizabeth – 10AM – 7PM
-Zen Leaf, 3256 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence Township – 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (MIGHT CHANGE TO 9AM TO 9PM)
It all comes about a year after the state’s regulatory commission started operating, and a year and a half after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to allow recreational marijuana.
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Still, questions remain about whether police officers will legally be able to smoke marijuana while off duty. At present, they are not exempted from the law allowing those 21 and older to smoke.
Murphy said he would be “open minded” to barring police officers from smoking marijuana while off duty.
“There’s no allowing anybody to show up impaired, fair to say that, whether you’re drinking or whether you’ve smoked weed, whatever the reason,” he said. “Anybody who shows up impaired would be dealt with aggressively.”
A recent memo from acting state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said off-duty police officers can consume cannabis products under the state’s legal marijuana law and should not face discipline for doing so.
Platkin said this week that the memo was merely a clarification of the law as currently written.
Murphy indicated he would be open to tweaking the law as it pertains to of duty law enforcement.
“Would I be opened minded to a legislative fix that would address this?” he said. “The answer is yes.”
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said his city would not allow officers to smoke marijuana, issuing a directive to clarify that it will not be permitted and would result in termination.
New Jersey and 17 others states, along with the District of Columbia, have legalized recreational marijuana. Thirty-seven states, including New Jersey, have legalized medical marijuana.
New Jersey’s recreational sales are slated to begin ahead of New York, where sales are not expected to start until the end of the year, state officials have said.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he wants the city to promote its impending legal cannabis industry and assist people from minority communities most affected by marijuana-related offenses to become marijuana entrepreneurs.
Adams is set to propose Wednesday that the city spend $4.8 million to reach out to those most impacted by the so-called war on drugs. His plan would help them learn about the industry and set up their new small businesses – things like navigating the licensing process and obtaining financing, among other areas.
“Now is the time for our city to make proactive investments to ensure the people disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of these substances can reap the benefits of the new industry,” Adams said in a statement.
The mayor, a former police captain, has said the legal marijuana industry could be a key driver for the city’s post-pandemic economic recovery, along with a revival in tourism, nightlife and people returning to offices.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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