The short answer
New Jersey voters approved adult-use cannabis on November 3, 2020, when Public Question 1 passed with about two-thirds of the vote. Governor Phil Murphy signed the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (CREAMMA) on February 22, 2021, and the first recreational sales began on April 21, 2022.
Legal cannabis didn't show up in New Jersey overnight. It took a decade, a ballot question, a pile of legislation, and a brand-new state commission. Here's the short version.
2010: The medical program begins
In January 2010, New Jersey enacted the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, creating the state's medical cannabis program. In 2019 it was expanded and renamed under the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act, which also created the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC).
2020: Voters say yes
On November 3, 2020, New Jersey voters approved Public Question 1, amending the state constitution to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older. It passed with about 67% of the vote, one of the widest margins of any legalization measure in the country.
2021: The rules get written
On February 22, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed CREAMMA, the law that built the framework for the adult-use market, along with companion bills on decriminalization. The CRC then wrote the regulations that govern licensing, testing, packaging, advertising and sales, now found in the New Jersey Administrative Code at N.J.A.C. 17:30.
2022: The first legal sales
Adult-use sales started on April 21, 2022, at a handful of existing medical dispensaries approved to serve recreational customers. Since then, the CRC has licensed many new independent retailers across the state.
Where Atlantic City fits in
Under CREAMMA, each town decides whether to allow cannabis businesses. Atlantic City opted in, opening the door for local, independent dispensaries. Marvin's Garden, founded in 2025 and rooted in AC, is one of them.
Keep reading
This product contains cannabis. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children. There may be health risks associated with the consumption of this product, including for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning on becoming pregnant. Do not drive a motor vehicle or operate heavy machinery while using this product.