#NJ AG reminds residents that legal weed laws haven’t kicked in yet

The attorney general reminded Garden Staters to put down the bong and take a deep breath on Wednesday — because while voters may have puff, puff, passed a ballot question to legalize reefer on Election Day, the new rules haven’t quite kicked in yet.

“It is important that residents accurately understand the current situation, so they do not inadvertently engage in criminal conduct relating to marijuana — conduct that may be legal in the future once the Legislature acts, but is not presently legal based on yesterday’s vote,” AG Gurbir Grewal said in a statement Wednesday

New Jersey residents approved the ballot question Tuesday, paving the way for the legalization of recreational marijuana, but the AG reiterated that the law doesn’t go into effect until Jan. 1, 2021.

The legal green marketplace will also need the state Legislature to approve a plan on how the business will operate.

“All of the State’s criminal laws relating to marijuana continue to apply, until, among other things, the Legislature enacts a law creating that regulatory framework,” Grewal said.

“While my office will soon issue additional guidance for law enforcement and prosecutors to address this situation, we have reminded them of the broad discretion they already possess in handling low-level marijuana offenses.”