Weed Arrests Have Plummeted In NJ Since Voters Legalized Marijuana

Marijuana-related arrests have plummeted in New Jersey since the state legalized recreational cannabis, recent data shows.

In 2020, the year before New Jersey voters legalized cannabis for adults, the state saw 23,015 weed-related arrests. That was a whopping 61 percent of all drug arrests, according to an analysis from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

The state has since turned over a new leaf, the advocacy group says.

There were 502 marijuana-related arrests in New Jersey in 2024: less than 2 percent of all drug arrests, recent FBI crime data shows (see the chart below).

While the tide has turned in New Jersey, marijuana-related arrests continue to far outpace arrests for other drug-related violations in many other states, NORML says.

In five states (Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin), more than half of all drug-related arrests reported by state and local law enforcement agencies in 2024 were cannabis-related, according to data provided by the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.

In these states, marijuana-related arrests are almost exclusively for low-level possession, advocates say.

On the flip side of the coin, marijuana-related arrests typically comprise only a small percentage of arrests in states where personal possession has been legalized, NORML says.

For instance – in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, Vermont, and Washington – marijuana-related arrests comprised fewer than five percent of all drug-related arrests in 2024. By contrast, marijuana-related arrests comprised over one-third of all drug-related arrests in Illinois, despite lawmakers legalizing the adult-use market in 2019.

Nationwide, state and local police made over 204,000 marijuana-related arrests in 2024.

“Low-level marijuana offenders, many of them younger, poor, and people of color, should not be saddled with an arrest, a criminal record, and with the lifelong penalties and stigma associated with it for engaging in behavior that is now legally regulated for adults in nearly half the states in this country and that most Americans nationwide no longer believe ought to be a crime,” NORML deputy director Paul Armentano said.

• See Related: $1 Billion In Weed: NJ Cannabis Industry Sees Record-Setting Year
• See Related: It’s Time To Decriminalize All Drugs In New Jersey, Advocates Say

LEGAL WEED IN NEW JERSEY: WHAT ARE THE RULES?

New Jersey passed a medical marijuana law in 2010, which remained the only legal way for people to consume cannabis in the state for more than a decade.

Voters approved recreational marijuana for adults in November 2020. But it wasn’t legal to fire up the bong until Gov. Phil Murphy signed the official framework into law in February 2021.

New Jersey residents and visitors are only allowed to buy cannabis at a licensed dispensary. Growing marijuana at home is not permitted.

Here are some things to know about Garden State’s current regulations for adult recreational use, as per the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission:

WHO CAN BUY? – Anyone 21 years and older (New Jersey residents or visitors)

WHAT CAN I BUY? – In each transaction, dispensaries are allowed to sell up to the equivalent of 28.35 grams or one ounce of usable cannabis (four grams of solid concentrates or resin, four grams of concentrate in liquid form, four grams of vaporized formulations (oil), or 1,000 mg of edibles or other cannabis-infused products).

HOW MUCH WEED CAN I HAVE ON ME? – New Jersey state law allows adults 21 years and older to have up to six ounces of cannabis and cannabis products in their possession.

WHERE CAN I SMOKE? – Cannabis users may smoke in private spaces, however landlords can prohibit cannabis use on their property. Cannabis smoking is allowed where cigarette smoking is permitted, unless stated otherwise. People can also consume legal cannabis at licensed dispensaries with approved consumption areas.

IS IT ILLEGAL TO DRIVE WHILE HIGH? – Yes. Laws regarding driving while impaired apply to being under the influence of cannabis.

HOW MUCH IS THE TAX? – All transactions are subject to New Jersey sales tax of 6.625 percent, plus a social equity excise fee of 1/3 of 1 percent. Customers may also face local fees or taxes, depending on the location of the dispensary.

CAN I TAKE MY WEED OUT OF STATE? – No. It is still illegal to transport cannabis across state lines.

CAN I GIVE MY FRIENDS WEED AS A GIFT? – Yes. People may give up to 28.35 grams (one ounce) of cannabis to another adult 21 years or older. They may not accept any form of payment or compensation for the gifted cannabis.

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