By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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When Democrat Phil Murphy defeated Republican Kim Guadagno in the governor's race, a wide array of entrepreneurs and elected officials knew they could march ahead with something brand new in New Jersey:

Legalizing recreational marijuana.

Murphy campaigned on a promise to sign a bill to make pot legal, something that would usher in a new market that could be worth $1.3 billion.

And, of course, many of you are awaiting the day when you can legally light up in the Garden State.

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy has his election night victory party at the Asbury Park Convention Hall Grand Arcade. Tuesday November 7, 2017. Asbury Park, NJ.

So now the stage is set. But how long will it take before you can walk into a shop and buy legal pot?

Nobody — including the lawmaker leading the charge for legal pot in New Jersey — is saying for sure because it's a complicated process.

Two leaders who know about pot and government told NJ Advance Media that under the all the right circumstances, it could be legal by the end of 2018. Any pitfalls could push it into 2019.

Here's a look at a potential timeline -- and all the hurdles that needs to happen before marijuana becomes legal in New Jersey:

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J.H. Barr, president of New Jersey State Municipal Prosecutors Association, and other advocates for legalizing marijuana hold a press conference in the Statehouse prior to having a public hearing on the legislation, in this 2015 file photo. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

How fast will the pot bill pass?

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, has pledged to pass a bill legalizing recreational marijuana within the first three months of a Murphy administration.

Murphy said he would sign it right away.

Here's how that could work out in the early months of 2018:

• Jan. 9: New Democratic-dominated Legislature sworn-in. State Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, the chief proponent of legalizing marijuana could introduce a new version of his bill (S3195) right away;

• Jan. 16: Democrat Phil Murphy is inaugurated governor;

• January through end of March: Public hearings, lobbying and arm-twisting, followed by a vote in both houses of the Legislature;

• March-April: If it passes, Murphy signs bill into law.

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How long would it take after that?

Then what?

Getting the law passed and signed would be followed by months of rule making to figure out all the nitty-gritty details of how a brand new marijuana market would operate, what the public must abide by, licensing who gets to sell and grow, and dealing with potential legal pitfalls that could hamper or derail the law.

How long would this take?

Scutari won't venture a guess. But Karmen Hanson, program director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, a research organization for state lawmakers, said it could take as little as nine months -- or up to two years -- depending on how it's crafted.

Kate Bell, legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington D.C.,, agreed.

"If New Jersey chose to move quickly to pass the law and do what a number of other states have done and allow medical medical dispensaries to sell, yes this could be up and running this time next year," Bell said.

But, she added: "I don't think the full regulatory and licensing process would be done though. The regulatory process will take at least six months, then the licensing process is another six months."

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File photo of Compassionate Care Foundation Alternative Treatment Center, a medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor. (David M Warren | For NJ Advance Media)

Will Jersey take this fast track?

One way legal pot could be available faster is if the state lets the five (and soon to be six) medical marijuana dispensaries meet the demand while the recreational market gets its bearings, Bell said.

In a recent interview with NJ Advance Media, Scutari said he was skeptical about this, fearing they would be inundated.

That happened in Nevada, where state regulators in mid-July had to expand the number of distributors to meet the demand.

'This obviously caused issues for patients who needed their medicine," Bell said. "There are ways to address it. Place a limit on the amount a non-patient can purchase."

There are 15,000 registered medical marijuana patients in New Jersey.

Bell said other chosen cultivators need time to acquire land, if they have not done so already, and prepare their growing and retail sites.

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How fast did it happen in other states?

So how fast did pot become legal in other states? Most took more than a year.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project:

• Colorado: Voter approved in November 2012; the first retail shops opened in January 2014.

• Washington (state): Voter approved in November 2012; sales were legal in July 2014;

• Oregon: Voter approved in November 2014; recreational sales were permitted at medical marijuana dispensaries in 2015 until recreational retailers were licensed and open in 2016;

• Alaska: Voter approved in November 2014; sales were legal in October 2016;

• California: Voter approved in November 2016, first licenses must be awarded by January 2018;

• Massachusetts: Voter approved November 2016; licenses to be awarded sometime in 2018;

• Maine: Voter approved in November 2016; licenses to be awarded sometime in 2018;

• Nevada: Voter approved in November 2016; medical marijuana dispensaries opened for recreational customers in July 2017; recreational sites coming in 2018.

All but Washington permit private citizens to grow a limited number of their own cannabis plants. New Jersey's legislation will not allow home cultivation.

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N.J.'s move to legalize marijuana has begun. Here's all you need to know about it.

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What else could gum up the works?

Once the rules are drawn up, the competitive jockeying for a piece of what will be a lucrative pie begins.

Potential for delays abound.

In some states, investors passed over to be state-sanctioned growers or dispensaries "have filed lawsuits. Many are frivolous," said Bell, whose organization has led the ballot question campaigns in five of the eight states that legalized marijuana. "The regulators will want to make sure they are following the rules."

"There is a tremendous amount of interest. I expect a lot of public comment. it’s really important to get it right," she added.

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State Sen. Nicholas Scutari D-Union, seen in this 2016 file photo, speaks to reporters after taking a trip to Colorado to investigate that state's legal marijuana market. (Photo by Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Advantage New Jersey?

While predicting an actual date for legal pot shops to open is anybody's bet, Scutari says New Jersey will be better prepared than other states to get it right the first time.

A new law would make New Jersey the first state to legalize pot relying on the actions of elected officials rather than a voter referendum.

Scutari says this approach would allow the state to design the kind of program it wants up front, rather than having to go back to the voters for permission to make meaningful changes.

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Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.