The Garden State loves its grass, as in marijuana, according to a recent FBI study that tracked the number of people arrested for use of the illegal weed. In 2016 over 35,000 people were arrested for the possession or distribution of pot.
A study compiled by John Gettman, a professor of Criminal Justice at Shenandoah University in Virginia showed that New Jersey finished third in the country for marijuana arrests. Professor Gettman claims the reason for the higher arrest rates in New Jersey is a result of a greater police presence in highly populated areas. Gettman said, "When you have a greater police activity in certain neighborhoods, you're going to have more marijuana arrests."
Information published by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics shows that New Jersey has the highest number of police officers per capita in the country. In an article published in the New York Post, New York State ranked 26th in the nation with a total of 36,977 marijuana-related arrests in 2016.
Phil Murphy, New Jersey's recently minted governor promised Garden State residents that legalized marijuana would be one of the first issues he would tackle after being elected.
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