HOBOKEN, N.J. – New Jersey residents told Fox News that it was long overdue for the Garden State to legalize marijuana.
"I think people are using it regardless on if it’s legal or not," Tom, of Hoboken, said. "It’s a good thing for the local government to make the tax dollars on."
Over a dozen dispensaries across New Jersey will begin selling recreational marijuana Thursday after voters approved legalization in November 2020. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, called it "a historic step" in creating "a new cannabis industry."
"It’s about time we started getting on that bandwagon," Tommy, a New Jersey resident, told Fox News.
"It’s always been around the streets," he said. "It’s nice that we can actually contribute to the state now in a legal way."
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Tommy, a New Jersey resident, tells Fox News "it's about time" weed was legalized and sold in the state (Megan Myers/Fox Digital)
One Hoboken resident told Fox News she "doesn’t really have an opinion" about legalization. She said residents should be allowed to do as they please as long as there are age restrictions on who can purchase and use marijuana.
Buyers in New Jersey must be at least 21.
Adrianna, of North Bergen, told Fox News she is "interested to see how they implement" sales across the state, but New Jersey is "moving toward the right direction in legalizing it."
She said she probably won’t buy any, but "hopes others enjoy."
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Adrianna, a New Jersey resident, tells Fox News she won't be purchasing herself but "hopes others enjoy" the cannabis sales starting Thursday (Megan Myers/Fox Digital)
While Hoboken approved the measure with 84% of the vote, according to the New Jersey Monitor, there was opposition over where dispensaries could be placed.
"People didn’t move into a party zone," Hoboken council member Tiffanie Fisher, who pushed to keep dispensaries away from parks and schools, told the Monitor. "They moved into a residential neighborhood."
"I personally think that’s not great for Hoboken, and it’s going to accentuate that area as party central," she said.
Paying by credit card for marijuana at a cannabis dispensary. Purchasing legal recreation drugs. Medical marijuana at a clinic. (iStock)
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New Jersey is one of 18 states, plus Washington, D.C., that have legalized recreational marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Kristina, of the Garden State, told Fox News that "it’s definitely about time" for recreational marijuana to become legal and sold across the state. She said she probably won't buy any on Thursday, but probably will in the next few months.
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