Voters in New Jersey have approved a ballot measure to legalise the use of marijuana for recreational purposes.
According to preliminary data, more than 60 percent of New Jersians who voted said "yes" to the measure.
Democratic Governor Phil Murphy took to Twitter on Tuesday night to congratulate his fellow residents on the happy news, calling it a "huge step for racial and social justice" and for the state's economy. Murphy had earlier failed to gain enough votes in the state legislature to legalise recreational marijuana use, and put the issue to a statewide referendum vote. The legalisation of recreational or medical use of marijuana, or both, were on the ballot on Tuesday in Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota.
More than 70 percent of Democrats in the state reportedly spoke in support of the measure.
New Jersey has become the twelfth US state to legalise recreational marijuana; at the federal level, however, it remains illegal. Prior to New Jersey, Illinois was the latest state to allow the recreational use of cannabis. Arizona also voted to legalise recreational marijuana on 3 November.
The use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 33 states and the District of Columbia. In comparison, US' neighbour Canada legalised cannabis throughout the country in 2018.