A state ballot question that authorized recreational use of marijuana in the Garden State on November 3
generated a total of $2.3 million in fund-raising, according to post-election reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).

“Based on what appears to be the final fund-raising total, the marijuana ballot question was the seventh
most expensive in New Jersey history,” said Jeff Brindle, ELEC’s Executive Director. “While the amount is low compared to some previous New Jersey referendums and most marijuana initiatives in other states, it still is significant.”

“Don’t forget that marijuana interests also spent $4.1 million on lobbying between 2017 and 2019 on
various legislative initiatives related to marijuana use. So the industry’s overall political investment in New Jersey is more than $6.3 million in just three years,” Brindle noted.

Based on preliminary results compiled by Associated Press, voters overwhelmingly approved the ballot
question by 2,737,674 to 1,343,603- a 67-to-33 percent margin. The huge support might have been a factor that kept spending relatively low.

Also on November 3, voters in three other states- Arizona, Montana and South Dakota- legalized
recreational use of marijuana while Mississippi authorized marijuana use for medical purposes.

NJ CAN 2020, a coalition supporting the New Jersey initiative, raised $1.1 million and spent just under
that amount, leaving a $1,871 balance. It did not yet submit its final report.

Nor did another supporter of the initiative called Building Stronger Communities Action Fund Inc. It
raised $905,100, spent $891,865 and reported $13,325 in unspent funds.

Growing Economic Opportunities, an independent spending committee operated by the New Jersey State Laborers union, contributed $302,600 to Building Stronger Communities that has not yet been reported by the recipient committee.