As the country continues to watch Election Day results, one measure on the New Jersey ballot Tuesday appears to have passed by a wide margin: the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Two-thirds of New Jersey voters supported the authorization of pot for adults ages 21 and older.
The Associated Press called the ballot question Tuesday night. With 62% of precincts reporting, 66.94% of voters were in favor of legalization. All results are considered unofficial until they are certified by state election officials.
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New Jersey is the first state in the Mid-Atlantic region to adopt legal cannabis. Recreational marijuana use has not been legalized neighboring Pennsylvania, New York or Delaware.
Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota voters also approved similar measures Tuesday, making recreational marijuana use legal in 12 states.
New Jersey's referendum was projected to pass by a wide margin. It was supported by Gov. Phil Murphy and a group of other legislators who had been pushing for legalization for years.
Legalization still has a ways to go before New Jersey adults can easily purchase and consume marijuana. The amendment simply paves the way for lawmakers to pass a bill governing the rules of a new weed industry.
In some states that legalized recreational marijuana, it took years before residents could actually visit dispensaries to purchase weed. In Massachusetts, it took two years. In Maine, it took four.
Many New Jersey residents and Twitter users reacted positively to the news, though it also prompted a few jabs at the state.
Murphy shared his excitement while the news prompted Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, to urge New York to take the same step.
Others had a more sarcastic response, including one person who referenced Oregon's vote to decriminalize small amounts of heroin and cocaine.
Still, some users struggled to make sense of the legalization when comparing other policies.
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