A majority of New Jersians would like cannabis-derived tax revenues to be used on education, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll outlined by ROI NJ. The survey found 23% of respondents preferred cannabis taxes were spent on education; 21% wanted the funds used for public and community health initiatives, including drug treatment centers; 15% said it would be spent on affordable housing development; 13% preferred the revenues were used for transportation and infrastructure projects; and 11% wanted the money used for court and prisons.
Just 4% of respondents supported using the revenue for campaigns on the dangers of substance use.
Nathan Link, assistant professor and graduate director in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice at Rutgers-Camden, one of the poll’s partner organizations, described the results as “a big deal and a needed conversation.”
“What sets this legislation apart from that of the other states that have legalized and decriminalized cannabis are the critical benefits for social and racial justice that arise from implementing a permanent funding structure that potentially targets schools, health and the well-being of people living in New Jersey’s most disadvantaged communities.” — Link via ROI NJ
Democrats and independents – 25% each – were more likely than Republicans (16%) to prefer education funding as the top priority. For Republicans, the top priority for cannabis tax revenue should be funding police, courts, and prisons (21%). Black residents (38%) polled were more likely than residents of other races and ethnicities to believe the state should primarily invest the revenue in affordable housing development.
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