Lloyd Freeman, a member of the adjunct faculty and the Law School Advisory Board and a partner at Archer & Greiner, appeared with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy at a press conference discussing legalization of marijuana in the state on March 22.

Murphy has thrown his support behind an initiative to legalize and regulate recreational use of marijuana, establishing a cannabis industry that would include dispensaries and allowing for expedited expungement of marijuana offenses.

Freeman, the immediate past president of the Garden State Bar Association who teaches E-Discovery & Digital Evidence at the law school, endorsed the legislation at the press conference, which was televised on CBS3.

“People of color have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs for decades,” Freeman said. “It has resulted in systemic racial and social inequities for black and brown people.”

As the oldest and largest organization of black lawyers and judges in the state, the association serves as a strong partner in supporting the proposed legislation, Freeman said.

“This will be monumental for communities of color,” he said, pledging to support efforts to seek vacated or reduced sentences for those who have charged with marijuana related offenses and to ensure that black and brown people reap the reward of economic opportunities the law creates.

The New Jersey Legislature is scheduled to vote on the matter on March 25.