Pot Is On The Ballot In NJ, And Is Leading In The Polls
While Pennsylvanians will merely be deciding who will be the next President of the United States, voters in New Jersey will have something really substantive to weigh in on, come Election Day – whether or not their state is on-track toward legalizing marijuana.
NewJerseyGlobe.com reported on October 6 that, “according to A referendum to legalize recreational adult use of marijuana in New Jersey is headed toward passage by a huge margin, a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released today says.
Likely voters support the referendum by a 61%-29% margin, with just 10% of New Jerseyans still undecided.
Republicans are backing the referendum by a 52%-40% margin. Among Democrats, approval is at 71%-20%, and it’s at 57%-29% among independents.
The referendum is at 64%-28% among white, non-Hispanic voters, and at 58%-29% among non-white voters, the poll says. Voters over age 55 are backing the legalization of marijuana by a 51%-40% margin; 77% of voters ages 18-34 are in favor of it.”
GOP and others oppose legalization
On October 4 the Wall Street Journal reported that “The proposal faces GOP resistance. The New Jersey Republican County Chairmen’s Association passed a resolution opposing the ballot measure last month.
Jose Arango, chairman of the Republican Party in Hudson County and leader of the county association, said large corporations would control the marijuana market if the measure passed. He predicted a black market for the drug would continue selling it at prices lower than those of the legally produced product. He also noted that if the measure is approved, lawmakers would still have to pass legislation to regulate the marijuana market.“
And on October 13, NJ105.com claimed that “there were nearly 70 local ordinances banning either all marijuana sales and growth or recreational forms of the drug.”