NJ strongly supports the legalization of marijuana in new poll

A new Rutgers-Eagleton Institute of Politics poll shows that New Jersey adults strongly support the legalization, taxation and regulation of marijuana.

58% of those surveyed would support such a change in the state's marijuana law which is up nearly 10% from a similar Rutgers/Eagleton poll taken in April, 2014, continuing a long term upward trend in support.  However, respondents are not in a hurry to see it with only 20% considering it a "very important" issue while 45% say it is "not very important."

“The trend in New Jersey mirrors the nation as support for legalizing marijuana continues to grow,” said David Redlawsk, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling and professor of political science at Rutgers University. “The question we asked this year is more specific than in the past, specifying that legalization would come with taxes and regulation and would apply to adults 21 and over. That likely accounts for some of the jump from 49 percent support a year ago to 58 percent today.

But the one person whose support is needed for such a change continues his opposition to it. Gov. Chris Christie (R), has said in the past that he considers potential tax dollars generated by the legalization of marijuana "blood money." On the April, 2014 edition of "Ask the Governor," Christie said "I don't care about the tax money that may come from it and I don't care quite frankly that people think it (legal recreational pot use) is inevitable."

His views have not changed in recent interviews. Christie said that if he were elected president in 2016 he would return the federal prosecution of marijuana to Colorado and Washington State. “I think there’s probably a lot of people in Colorado who are not too thrilled with what’s going on there right now,” Christie told host John Dickerson on CBS' "Face the Nation."