Will you be able to buy pot at your local convenience store? Hard to say, but Democrat Phil Murphy's victory in the governor's race Tuesday means that marijuana legalization is a practical certainty in New Jersey.

Since Murphy made marijuana legalization a central part of his platform in Tuesday's election, there will likely be a way to purchase it somehow, someway in New Jersey possibly by late next year. Legislation could be passed by April. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney says his goal was to get a pot legalization measure passed within 100 days of the Murphy administration. Murphy, who defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, will be sworn-in on Jan. 16, 2018.



The man who sponsored the legislation to legalize marijuana, Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, told reporters this week that Murphy's election means "it's full-steam ahead" on the measure. "We should begin the process of shaping our marijuana laws now so that we are prepared to move forward with the best program for our state," said Scutari.

Outgoing Gov. Chris Christie opposed marijuana legalization, as did Guadagno, because of fears that it could be a gateway for harder drugs. But Sweeney disputes that, and says the state could benefit from the taxes drawn from an estimated $1.3 billion industry. He emphasized the importance of looking at how other states have gone through the legalization process, and make sure the procedure is safe and effective in New Jersey

"It's about jobs," Sweeney said. "It's about creating jobs. This is an industry that's in its infant stage and we have the benefit of learning all the mistakes that everyone else has done."

Just don't expect pot to be sold in stores by April. Kate Bell, legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington D.C., told nj.com that the regulatory process could take at least six months, and then the licensing process is another six months after the legislation is passed. That schedule could move a lot more quickly if medical marijuana dispensaries are allowed to meet the demand.

Not everyone is likely to jump on the pot bandwagon, however. Not everyone is expected to get a license to sell, according to NJBIZ, and a number of businesses may not be willing to deal with the industry since, technically, marijuana is still illegal under federal law. The Obama administration chose largely not to enforce the federal statutes, but the Trump administration could treat the issue differently.