The failure in the Legislature marks one of the biggest setbacks for Murphy, who despite having full Democratic control in the state Senate and the General Assembly, had faced constant party infighting and had struggled to bend the Legislature to his progressive agenda.
But the legalization effort had fractured the Democratic Party, with some African-American lawmakers arguing that marijuana would be a public health menace to their communities.
The sweeping bill sought to redress what its supporters say are the consequences of the war on drugs on minorities and tackle concerns about fairness in the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry.
In seeking to bring recreational marijuana to the doorstep of the nation’s biggest city, the bill would have wiped away criminal records for hundreds of thousands of people convicted of minor drug offenses. It would also have given many in jail the chance to be set free and end parole for many others.
The law also aimed to diversify a booming industry dominated by white entrepreneurs in the 11 other states and Washington, D.C., where recreational marijuana has been decriminalized. New Jersey would have ensured that minorities, as well as women, have equal access to licenses to sell or cultivate cannabis.
“We have the widest white-nonwhite gap of persons incarcerated in America and far and away the biggest contributor is low-end drug offenses,” Murphy, a Democrat, said recently at a news conference where he made his case for legalizing marijuana. “The status quo is unacceptable.”
Though polls showed most New Jersey residents support legalizing marijuana, Murphy had struggled to win support in the Legislature for what was a centerpiece of his election campaign. It was not until final revisions were made to the bill, especially the beefing up of measures making it easier to expunge criminal records, that the plan gained support from civil liberties and criminal justice activists from New Jersey and beyond.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.