Matthew G. Walter III was sent to prison for possession of marijuana more than seven months after Governor Phil Murphy signed cannabis reform bills into law, that purportedly legalized cannabis use and possession in the Garden State.
Walter was sentenced on October 6, 2021, almost a full year after New Jerseyans voted to approved a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational cannabis for adults.
When the constitutional amendment took effect on January 1, 2021, New Jersey ostensibly became the first state in the Mid-Atlantic region to legalize marijuana.
During a search of the interior of Walter’s motor vehicle 20 days later—on January 20, 2021—members of the Wildwood Police Department Uniform Patrol and K-9 and Divisions found marijuana and lodged criminal charges against the 20-year-old unemployed laborer from the North Cape May section of Lower Township.
Although the measure was billed as ” decriminalizing marijuana and hashish” in New Jersey, Murphy’s law actually allows citizens to be punished with up to 20 years in prison upon conviction for possession of marijuana.
Walter’s current parole eligibility date is September 28, 2022, but he could not be released until March 22, 2025, despite the excessive amount of political rhetoric that surrounded the bill signing.
“The failed War on Drugs has systematically targeted people of color and the poor, disproportionately impacting Black and Brown communities and hurting families in New Jersey and across our nation,” said U.S Senator Cory Booker.
“For the last fifty years, marijuana criminalization has been used as a tool to propel mass incarceration,” said state Senator Sandra Cunningham. “It has done immeasurable harm to Black and Brown communities around the country, and today we begin to right the ship here in New Jersey. I look forward to seeing the tangible impact this legislation has on our communities in the years to come.”
“I am proud to have been a driving force behind the most progressive decriminalization law in the country and I am grateful to finally see it enacted,” said state Senator Teresa Ruiz. “Every day roughly 100 people in New Jersey are arrested for marijuana possession, this law is a move that offers individuals a second chance and ensures they do not become entangled in the criminal justice system. This is yet another step towards bringing justice and equity to our communities. Going forward, we must continue to look for creative solutions to reverse the generational impact the War on Drugs has had.”
“This will usher in a new era of social justice by doing away with the failed policy that criminalized the use of marijuana,” said state Senate President Nicholas “No-Show Nick” Scutari. “Too many people have been arrested, incarcerated and left with criminal records that disrupt and even destroy their lives.”
The pot found in Walter’s car was packaged for street-level distribution, according to police, and Murphy’s law applies to adults 21 years and older.
“Our current marijuana prohibition laws have failed every test of social justice, which is why for years I’ve strongly supported the legalization of adult-use cannabis,” said Murphy, at the time he signed the marijuana legalization legislation. “Maintaining a status quo that allows tens of thousands, disproportionately people of color, to be arrested in New Jersey each year for low-level drug offenses is unjust and indefensible.”
“This November, New Jerseyans voted overwhelmingly in support of creating a well-regulated adult-use cannabis market. Although this process has taken longer than anticipated, I believe it is ending in the right place and will ultimately serve as a national model,” said Murphy.