The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) endorsed Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11) in the New Jersey Gubernatorial election tomorrow.
They did so in an email blast to supporters that included the image above.
NORML and Sherrill
“Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill has voiced support for expanding New Jersey’s adult-use cannabis program, including allowing home cultivation and improving consumer access, safety, and affordability,” NORML noted in an email.
It is notable that Sherrill has endorsed both adult-use and medical cannabis homegrow legalization, which Murphy never did.
According to NORML, former Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli “has long expressed skepticism toward cannabis legalization, indicated he would maintain the current framework, opposing both personal cultivation for adult-use consumers and further market expansion.”
“For consumers, the contrast is clear: Sherrill’s approach would strengthen legal access, reduce costs, and give responsible adults more freedom and protection, while Ciattarelli’s would keep the existing limits in place, leaving many of the state’s affordability and availability problems unresolved,” the email said.
“Elections decide whether cannabis consumers are treated as constituents whose rights and safety matter or as political afterthoughts. For those who care about cannabis policy reform, this election is not an event to be watched from the sidelines; it is a turning point,” NORML advocate JM Pedini said in the emailed statement.
NORML graded the candidates like in school. Sherrill got an A and Ciattarelli got a D based on their cannabis policy records.
They also endorsed Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger for Governor. It’s notable that in 2021, Republican George Youngkin won the Gubernatorial election in Virginia and stopped cannabis legalization progress.
Since then, in Jersey, the legal adult-use cannabis industry made a billion dollars last year.
No other industry is so controlled by law. No one had to legalize oil or computers before those industries could grow, for example.
Cannabis Politics
As a Republican, Ciattarelli could hate cannabis altogether once in power, like his Republican predecessor, Chris Christie. Several NJ cannabis advocates have argued that most of the problems with legal cannabis can be blamed on Christie.
Ciattarelli might even be the type to make fun of a candidate for being endorsed by NORML. It has been a long-time pillar of the American cannabis legalization movement for more than 50 years. They started when it seemed like a crazy idea instead of a matter of time
At best, Ciattarelli could be like Republicans like Matt Gaetz. They love it when cannabis legalization enriches large, corporate Multi-State Operators (MSOs).
A lot of the promise of equity has been built into the New Jersey cannabis market since 2020. It was done in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd.
Marijuana decriminalization and expungement efforts became much easier to support afterward. In addition, efforts included placing an emphasis on helping small businesspeople who were locals, minorities, women, and veterans. Especially those negatively affected by the War on Drugs.
It has been made clear that President Donald Trump and his followers probably don’t like similar efforts elsewhere.
It has also been made clear that Ciattarelli is very close to Trump.
Sherrill is more likely to continue the policy of incumbent Governor Phil Murphy (D). That would include leaving the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) and its Chair Dianna Houenou in place to continue the development of the cannabis market.
NJ 2025 Elections and Cannabis Policy
Notably, the NJ Senate is not up for re-election. They have four-year terms that run on a different schedule. So, regardless of what happens with the election, NJ Senate Nick Scutari (D-Union) will remain in charge of legislative efforts in cannabis. He recently endorsed legalizing growing one plant, which is some progress. Scutari also supports opening a State Bank to help local businesspeople.
While the NJ Senate is not up for grabs, every Assembly seat is on the ballot, along with control of many cities and towns across the Garden State. That includes Dover in Morris County, where Democratic cannabis advocate Chris Almada is running for City Council. In Glassboro in Camden County, Republican cannabis businessman Russell Cline is also running for Council.
Cannabis policy has not come up as an issue in most of the 2025 New Jersey elections, except in Hoboken.
Most NJ residents seem more concerned about affordable housing, global inflation, utility prices spiked due to Big Tech AI, and the effects of Trump as President than legal weed.
