Will there be an end to prohibition for one of our buds? In about 10 months, our dear old friend, and I say this very sarcastically, Chris Christie will be out of the office. So yes, New Jersey is planning on letting our bud roam free, in the sense of marijuana being legal for recreational use.
New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney stated legalizing marijuana could change the state’s economy. New Jersey could reap in a total of $300 million a year in sales tax if they allowed residents to blaze whenever they want!! If a bill is passed by 2018, New Jersey would be the first east coast state to do so. Ah. Finally, New Jersey would be thought of as the chill state for once, and maybe there would be fewer maniacs on the Garden State Parkway.
If you don’t believe that legalizing marijuana would be good for the state of New Jersey, let me present you with some facts. On a recent trip to Colorado, Sweeney and a group of state lawmakers were informed that the marijuana industry was not only profitable but also safe and regulated. According to an article released by NJ.com, recreational marijuana has provided the city of Denver with many benefits. Since 2014, recreational marijuana has created 29,000 jobs, revitalized the economy of some impoverished towns, and reduced the number of drug possession arrests by about 80 percent!
Sweeney and his team also took the time to meet with public health officials, lawmakers business owners, and visited dispensaries and manufacturers to ensure the safety and regulatory aspect of legalizing marijuana. Even the price of an ounce of marijuana has dropped due to the regulation of sales tax. Right now, an ounce of marijuana costs about $500, but by regulating the sales of marijuana the price would drop to about $250. Anyone else think we should impeach Christie to speed up the process of legalizing marijuana? He is the only big thing blocking our bud’s path.