State of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Appellant and Cross-Respondent v. William D. Reed, Defendant-Respondent and…

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that Section 4 of the Uniform Narcotic Drug Law criminalizes unauthorized possession of narcotics for any purpose, including possession for the possessor's imminent personal consumption, and that the later enacted Use Act does not limit or repeal that prohibition. Accordingly, the Court reversed the Appellate Division and reinstated the defendant's conviction. The Court also rejected the defendant's equal‑protection and discretionary‑discretion arguments as unfounded.