Searches for ‘How to Roll a Joint’ Spike in N.J. After Weed Legalization
Written by SOURCE on November 5, 2020
Google Trends reveals there was a 2,800 percent increase in searches for “how to roll a joint” in New Jersey over the span of four hours on Tuesday night. The spike in the very specific search comes the same day that nearly 67 percent of New Jersey voters approved an amendment allowing people 21 and older to possess and use recreational marijuana.
When legal weed will go into effect in New Jersey remains an uncertainty. “How soon will be determined by what the legislation looks like,” Jeff Brown, assistant commissioner for the Office of Medicinal Marijuana at the New Jersey Department of Health, said, per Philadelphia Inquirer. “That has yet to be written by the Legislature.”
The outlet speculates that ironing out all the details could take several months. Still, getting the measure on the ballot and passed by voters is a step in the right direction after New Jersey failed to garner enough support to pass legislation last year. Marijuana legalization has been backed by Gov. Phil Murphy, who argued that criminalizing weed has disproportionately impacted the Black and Latino community in the state.
“This is a state that when we came to office had the widest white, non-white persons incarcerated in America and that overwhelmingly because of low end drug crimes and we are going to put that reality with this huge step into the rear view mirror,” Murphy said, per NBC New York.
While New Jersey and Arizona voted to legalize recreational marijuana, South Dakota became the first state to approve medical and recreational use at the same time, according to CNN.
