UpdatedThu, Dec 17, 2020 at 3:25 pm ET Replies(32) (Shutterstock) NEW JERSEY — The New Jersey Assembly and Senate voted in favor of legislation that clears the way and creates a framework for marijuana legalization in the Garden State in 2021. The bill needs Gov. Phil Murphy's signature to become law. The long-debated legislation, A-21, officially legalizes personal use of marijuana, decriminalizes the substance and removes it from the Schedule I drug list. Lawmakers and advocates say the bill would also create a framework for legalization that benefits communities who have disproportionately been affected by drug arrests. Subscribe Assembly members voted 49-24-6 for the legislation, while the Senate voted 23-17 in favor Thursday.