The measure was included in enabling legislation that established New Jersey s recreational legal weed marketplace. Members of the Legislative Black and Latino Caucuses insisted on the ban as part of decriminalization legislation. It was, they said, a matter of social justice claiming police officers would stop and harass black and brown youth in greater numbers.
Parents, law enforcement and drug addiction experts all expressed outrage at the ban. The New Jersey Police Benevolent Association called the legislation treacherous and warned officers not to get involved in any situation involving marijuana. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal warned police could face criminal charges if they violated the ban.