LAWRENCE, New Jersey, April 21 (Reuters) – Last year, Xavier Rodriguez received two sentences for possession of marijuana, deleted from his file, thanks to a new law legalizing drugs in New Jersey.
On Thursday, the 28-year-old was among the initial wave of New Jersey residents waiting in long lines to legally buy marijuana as 13 state dispensaries began selling for the first time to all residents aged 21 and over.
“You will no longer have to fight and have to hide,” said Rodriguez, standing in front of the Zen Leaf Dispensary in Lawrence, New Jersey, with his 60-year-old mother, Debra, who uses marijuana for pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
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Thursday’s debut marks the culmination of a decade-long efforts by defenders in the country to legalize recreational use and end years of racially unbalanced prosecution. New Jersey is one of 18 states in the District of Columbia that have legalized adult marijuana use.
“We see it as the end of Ban 2.0,” said Ben Kovler, chief executive of Green Thumb Industries, which runs dispensaries at Patterson and Bloomfield.
The 13 locations are owned by Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc (AAWH.PK), Columbia Care Inc (CCHW.NLB), Acreage Holdings Inc (ACRGau.CD), Green Thumb Industries Inc (GTII.CD), Curaleaf Holdings Inc (CURA) .CD), Terrascend Corp (TER.CD) and Verano Holdings Corp (VRNO.CD).
Industry leaders and analysts expect the market to eventually exceed $ 2 billion. Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget provides for $ 121 million in cannabis revenue, mostly from taxes and fees, in fiscal 2023.
There are currently 130,000 medical marijuana patients in New Jersey, and the U.S. Cannabis Regulatory Commission estimates there are approximately 800,000 potential entertainment clients.
“The goal here is to take people off the black market and bring them to a safe legal market,” said George Arhos, CEO of Verano, which owns Zen Leaf in Lawrence.
More than 100 people lined up around the Zen Leaf building on Thursday morning. Tablet staff offered tips on choosing from a menu of products ranging from Ethos Cookies (“icy and tasty”) to Chemlatto 33 (“earthy and rich”) – both hybrid cannabis strains for smoking.
Dean Miller, 39, said he had a medical card for marijuana, but chose to wait in line for adult use to show support for what he called a “big day for New Jersey.”
He said he hoped legalization would help people educate themselves about the therapeutic effects of marijuana without the downsides of substances such as alcohol.
“I don’t just want to swell up,” said Miller, who relies on daily marijuana to deal with the pain of six surgeries.
So far, only medical marijuana dispensaries can sell to adults, but the commission is weighing hundreds of applications from startups. Those owned by people convicted of marijuana, as well as minorities, women and veterans with disabilities, receive priority attention under the law.
The law requires much of the state’s cannabis revenue to be invested in communities most affected by the “war on drugs.”
In 2018, black people were arrested more than three times more often than whites for marijuana crimes, despite similar levels of use, according to the American Civil Liberties Union in New Jersey.
“That’s the whole point here: to make sure we pursue justice every step of the way and stop relying on a criminal response to something that people consume across the country,” said Amol Sinha, the group’s chief executive.
Cannabis leaders hope the successful launch in New Jersey will prompt other East Coast states to take action, noting that polls show a majority of Americans support the legalization of marijuana.
“It’s time for lawmakers to catch up with the American consumer,” said Joe Bayern, Curaleaf’s chief executive.
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Report by Joseph Ax Edited by Bill Bercrot
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