WHYY By Ian T. Shearn for NJ SpotlightDecember 31, 2020 In this March 22, 2019, file photo, a marijuana plant grows at the Compassionate Care Foundation's grow house in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) This article originally appeared on NJ Spotlight. — New Jersey’s path to legalizing recreational use of marijuana has been tortured and often confusing, so maybe it’s fitting that even after voters overwhelmingly approved the move on Jan. 1, it’s going to take a bit longer to make it happen. In the meantime, let the public beware: Possessing marijuana will not be legal come Friday. In fact, it will still be a crime until elected officials can once again hammer out some last-minute issues.