Legal marijuana sales begin in New Jersey, customers line up overnight

Weed sales are smoking hot in New Jersey as thousands were seen flocking shops now that legal marijuana sales are taking off.

Legal marijuana sales start: the people’s reaction

On the first day of legal marijuana sales in the Garden State, people were seen forming long lines to buy weed legally. Over 2,000 people grabbed pre-rolled joints, edibles, and flowers within a few houses at Ascend, a luxury shop catering to people’s cannabis needs. “This is the high-end retail of weed! This is much better than what I used to get from my old salesman. Much higher quality!” exclaimed Jason Davis, a 38-year-old. “But this is higher end. You get to pick which kind. The old way, you bought what he had,” he added. Purchasing five pre-rilled joints and 3.5 grams of pot for a total of $140, he added that it is twice more than his regular dealer.

Several people were shocked at how easy it was to access. “It was like walking into a candle shop! Very organized. Everyone is super-friendly. Professional, just a smooth experience. This is the way to go!” said Carl Grande. Grande is a 31-year-old and the founder of a fitness and nutrition firm. He was successful in snapping a pre-rolled joint and 3.5 grams for $80. Several drivers waiting for the clogging traffic to free were seen yelling “It’s about time!” and “Devil’s playground!”

The big picture

The debut of legal marijuana sales marked a successful ending of a long effort by advocates for legalizing recreational use. After all, they have been fighting for over a decade to help in ending racially unbalanced criminal prosecution for using weed. New Jersey is now the 18th state for legalizing its use. Additionally, according to George Archos, “The goal here is to take people away from the black market. And bring them into the safe, legal market”. Archos is the chief executive of Verano, the parent company of Zen Leaf.

Moreover, Thursday was a big day for New Jersey as adults have access to marijuana. However, currently, only medical dispensaries can sell to adults. But, the commission is going through applications from start-ups. Reports reveal that Black people were arrested three times more than white people in 2018 for marijuana offenses. “That’s the whole point here: making sure we’re pursuing equality at every step of the way and ending our reliance on a criminal response for something that people consume all over the country,” said Amol Sinha. Sinha is the executive of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey.