ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — As New Jersey prepares for the new era of Governor-Elect Phil Murphy and his promise to fast-track the legalization of recreational marijuana, a state senator and former U.S. Marine is trying to deploy a parachute on the effort.

According to Sen. Ronald Rice, a veteran Democrat who represents the 28th District, New Jersey needs to "slow down the process" of legalizing marijuana and "drill down on the facts." "We know there are negative factors that we will need to safeguard against, from children's access to marijuana-infused edibles to motor vehicle accidents caused by impaired driving to the effect of marijuana on babies and the impact of legalization on communities of color," Rice said Monday.

"We also need to have a better understanding of what the legal sale of marijuana would look like in our state, including where it would be sold and grown," the senator added. "We need to look closely at the results of marijuana legalization in other states and at the research that has been conducted since." Rice said that as chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, he plans to convene hearings at various locations around the state to make sure that "we really delve into the details of this issue."

Rice, whose district includes Newark, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington and Nutley, previously served as deputy mayor and councilman for Newark. He was a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, and has degrees from Essex County College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Rutgers University. See related article: Christie Calls N.J. Marijuana Legalization 'Stupid' 'DELVING INTO THE DETAILS'

Marijuana advocates in New Jersey have been sounding off for years about several of Rice's worries.

Ironically, one of Rice's concerns – the "impact of legalization on communities of color" – has been a topic long decried by civil rights groups… but as an argument in favor of legalization.

"New Jersey's marijuana laws are failing people of color," Richard Smith, president of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, said in June after the ACLU of New Jersey released a scathing report about the racial disparities of marijuana arrests. Despite similar usage rates of marijuana, black New Jerseyans were arrested at a rate three-times higher than whites between 2000 and 2013, the study claims.