Poll: Now that it's legal, NJ residents often catch whiff of weed

⚫ Plenty of NJ residents say they're bothered by the smell of marijuana

⚫ Many adults know someone who's driven while high on weed

⚫ Nonusers have stricter views towards cannabis

Recreational marijuana is legal in New Jersey, but it'd be very hard to find a public place in the state where you can legally smoke it.

Still, most residents say they're getting a whiff occasionally or regularly — sometimes in their own home, according to poll results released on Wednesday by Stockton University.

In the poll released by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton, 57% of New Jersey adults reported smelling cannabis in public spaces "often" or "sometimes." Close to 30% said the smell has infiltrated their home from a neighboring house or apartment.

Most respondents (52%) said thy are not bothered by the smell, but 19% said the smell bothers them a great deal. Those who haven't used cannabis products in the past year were more likely to say that they were bothered by the smell of weed.

New Jersey has rules in place for the opening of cannabis consumption lounges, but industry observers fear they won't be very appealing — the lounges must be connected to weed dispensary sites, and food and alcohol sales will be prohibited.

"Not much thought was given to the issue of the smell of marijuana becoming part of the public landscape in New Jersey," said John Froonjian, director of the Hughes Center. "There are hardly any places to legally consume these products, so people are lighting up in parks, at festivals, in parking lots and on the street."

Driving while high

In the poll of nearly 600 New Jersey adults, about 40% said that they know someone who has driven while high on marijuana.

While 90% of respondents agreed that driving drunk is extremely dangerous, just 51% said the same about driving while under the influence of weed.

"This, I think, points to a strong need for public education," Froonjian said.

On the same day as the release of the poll results, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission announced the launch of a statewide public education campaign about safe marijuana usage. Among the key points: do not drive while high.

Seventy-three percent of the Stockton poll respondents expressed support for the development of a test that can determine a person's level of impairment from marijuana. Non-cannabis users were more likely to be in favor of such a test.

Right now, tests can detect the existence of THC in one's system, but not whether or how it's impacting their ability to drive.

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