Paul Josephson remembers his time at the University of Michigan, a decade after the city of Ann Arbor had decriminalized marijuana.

"It was an issue everybody was aware of," Josephson said. "You could walk past a cop with a joint hanging out of your mouth. You'd get a $15 summons you would have to pay."

Not true for the Black students he encountered for the first time at a large university. He said he learned that their experiences with police officers was very different than his.

"If you were Black or poor, it could especially derail your career," he said.

Combine that with Josephson's history in politics, beginning with him being elected president of UM's student government and then choosing to go to law school in the nation's capital, and you can explain why he got involved in efforts to legalize marijuana in New Jersey.