New Delhi: The residents of New Jersey rushed to buy weed as the state welcomed the drug’s legalization.
Earlier on Thursday, Xavier Rodriguez was among the initial wave of New Jerseyans waiting in long lines to buy marijuana lawfully, Reuters reported.
This as 13 dispensaries around the state began selling marijuana to all residents 21 and older for the first time.
Rodriguez, who last year got two convictions for marijuana possession expunged from his record, said: “No more being hassled and having to hide out.”
The 28-year-old was seen standing outside the Zen Leaf dispensary in Lawrence, New Jersey, with his 60-year-old mother Debra, who uses marijuana for pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
New Jersey is one of 18 states and the district of Columbia to have legalized adult marijuana use.
The sale of marijuana lawfully marked the culmination of a decade-long effort by advocates in the state to legalize recreational use and end years of racially unbalanced criminal prosecution.
“We see it as the end of Prohibition 2.0,” said Ben Kovler, chief executive of Green Thumb Industries, which operates dispensaries in Paterson and Bloomfield.
The market, expect the industry executives and analysts, will eventually exceed $2 billion.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s proposed budget anticipates $121 million in cannabis revenue, mostly from taxes and fees, in the financial year 2023.
Presently, there are 1,30,000 medical marijuana patients in New Jersey.
The state's Cannabis Regulatory Commission estimates there are roughly 8,00,000 potential recreational customers.
“The goal here is to take people away from the black market and bring them into the safe, legal market,” said George Archos, chief executive of Verano, which owns the Zen Leaf in Lawrence.
Earlier on Thursday morning, over 100 people stood in a line snaking around Zen Leaf's building.