Can You Smoke Legal Weed On Jersey Shore Beaches?

NEW JERSEY — Even before weed legalization, Jersey Shore residents and visitors would occasionally smell a skunk-like scent on the beach. While the state now allows adults 21 and older to consume recreational cannabis, smoking it at the beach remains prohibited.

Here's what to know about weed and the beach as summer gets underway on the Jersey Shore.

Is it legal to smoke recreational weed on New Jersey beaches?

Short answer: no. Four years ago, the state updated the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act of 2006. The updated law prohibits smoking at public beaches and parks around the state.

The law also prohibits the use of electronic-smoking devices — such as vapes and e-cigarettes — at beaches and parks.

What about medical cannabis?

Patients in the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program can smoke in public. But the Smoke Free Air Act prohibits smoking of any kind in most public spaces, according to the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

Is it OK to bring cannabis with me to the beach?

Medical patients may carry keep their cannabis with them, while people 21 and older can carry recreational weed with them. But they can't consume it on the premises.

You can also only have a limited amount with you. Possessing more than 6 ounces of cannabis is a fourth-degree crime in New Jersey — punishable by 18-months imprisonment and a fine up up to $25,000.

Are there exceptions?

Sandy Hook has tighter regulations than most of New Jersey, as it's federal property. Marijuana possession remains a federal offense, and that applies to all federal lands.

What about other Shore spots, such as hotels, rentals, casinos or even my own vehicle?

Some hotels may allow cannabis use in their rooms, but that requires permission. Hotels and motels can allow smoking or vaping weed in up to 20 percent of their rooms at the owner's discretion.

Essentially, the only places to legally smoke recreationally in New Jersey are on private property. And if it's not the smoker's property, they need permission from the owners, whether it's at a friend's Shore house or a rental or a hotel room.

Smoking weed inside Atlantic City casinos remains prohibited, and smoking weed in the car violates the state's open-container laws. Anyone caught doing so while in the driver's seat with the vehicle on can be charged with driving under the influence.

Can out-of-state visitors bring weed with them?

Crossing state lines with marijuana remains a federal offense. But those visiting the Shore from out-of-state can purchase from dispensaries.

Visitors may find several dispensaries that offer recreational products on their way to their summer destination. The Jersey Shore also currently has one recreational dispensary — The Botanist in Egg Harbor Township.