Monmouth Freeholders Oppose Legalizing Recreational Marijuana
Monmouth County Freeholder Director Tom Arnone speaks passionately against the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey. (Apologies to County Purchasing Director Helen Fiore)
Freehold- The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders passed a resolution opposing the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey at their regular meeting on Thursday, January 25.
Freeholder Director Tom Arnone spoke passionately on the issue during the Board’s afternoon workshop meeting (see video above). The Director criticized the the fiscal mismanagement of New Jersey’s state government, under both Democrat and Republican administrations, while declaring that the move to legalize the drug now puts the health and well being on New Jersey children at risk in order to generate tax revenue.
In their resolution, the Freeholders cite the increase in traffic deaths involving marijuana in Colorado since the Centennial State legalized weed. In 2013, the year before legalization in Colorado, there were 55 traffic deaths involving drivers impaired by marijuana. In 2016, there was 125 such deaths, the resolution stated.
Citing the 2016 Rocky Mountain High Density Drug Trafficking Area annual report, the resolution states that since Colorado legalized pot, that there are more retail outlets that sell the drug than there are Starbucks coffee shops or McDonald’s restaurants. According to the RMHDDTA report, pot use among Colorado teenagers aged 12-17 is 74% higher than the national average.
The Freeholders also cited the problems law enforcement agencies have in determining if impaired drivers are are under the influence of marijuana as a reason for their opposition to legalization.
The resolution which was passed 4-0, will be sent to Governor Phil Murphy, all members of the Monmouth County State Legislative Delegation and the governing bodies of all Monmouth municipalities.
The Freeholders emphasized that they are not opposing medical marijuana.
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Many think it is so cool, fun, a great way to make big bucks fast. But how will that work, when Asbury Park in Monmouth has already said they’ll be happy to sell it? This is just one platform pledge of this new governor that will prove to be the final demise of N J. I applaud the Freeholders in trying to keep Monmouth a good, safe, and decent place- but the tentacles of greed, the fast buck, and the ensuing cultural and legal problems, are sadly and unnecessarily just beginning, here.
Good thing driving under the influence and giving it to minors are both and would still be illegal. Why punish those who can be responsible just because some people may abuse it? Unless they’re pushing to make alcohol illegal too, those arguments are BS. Get over your reefer madness old folks! It’s a new day. Try doing some research from unbiased sources like medical journals, not Fox news.
Having lived through the drug madness of the 60’s and beyond, and seen and lost friends and family members to drugs, many of whom began by having fun with pot, and wound up dumber or dead, I have every right to believe it is a bad move for the most populous state. Look at the “ research, “ read, statistics, of the horrible increase in child admissions to ER’s with marijuana poisoning, and deaths of toddlers from eating the crap, in Colorado, since legalized. In this most populous state, with the cray drivers we already have, expect many more problems and accidents by those driving while high than we already have. This means your insurances go up, too, and probably your medical. But you go enjoy, and the hell with everyone else.
When will the Freeholders pass a resolution calling on the Legislature to make it illegal to possess or consume alcohol? Think of all of the lives that could be saved if we reinstitued Alcohol Prohibition. Wait. We tried Alcohol Prohibition in this country and it failed miserably.
These tired, old Freeholders are on the wrong side of history. Marijuana Prohibition does not work. Thankfully, the recreational use of marijuana will be leagalized soon in New Jersey.
The point is, we don’t need pot, too, here. It is very often a gateway drug. Again, many addicts admit that, and stats prove it. That means many additional costs to the society. Why add more? If there is irresponsibility with alcohol, there certainly is also, with pot. But, the selfish society that we have become, coukdn’t care less. Not surprised. Have at it- but stay off the road, keep the disgusting smoke inside and not in public, and stay away from children!
What stats are you referring to? Alcohol is the preferred “gateway drug” of addicts. Far more addicts consumed alcohol before they ever consumed marijuana.
Dr Robert DuPont, of the Institute for Behavioral Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. He states that there is ample evidence that it can prime the brain for enhanced responses to other drugs. That many people who use pot consume more legal and non- legal drugs. That a tolerance, as can be with alcohol too, can build up, which wants more. That many who use pot are three times more likely to try and become addicted to heroin. Am sure there are studies conducted to debunk this, but am sure we all know people who did it in school could stop, but that others were led into much worse: party drugs, ecstasy, molly, pain pills, heroin, whatever. It is simply sad that life seems so unbearable to some that there always needs to be some kind of chemical cushion, to numb it for them.
It has been well documented that the driving stats have no real final resolution and are premature in conclusion. As far as “there are more retail outlets that sell the drug than there are Starbucks coffee shops or McDonald’s restaurants”. Thank goodness!!! Who needs all that fat, sugar, gmo’s and caffeine. When you can boost your endocannabinoid system: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3303140/
The stats on teens in Colorado are misleading because they had higher use prior to legalization. Teen use rates have lowered in the legal states. And large numbers of adults use none or less alcohol and opioids and switch to cannabis.
There is no scientific evidence that MJ causes to use heroin etc. None.
The question I have for you is, why should an adult be arrested and be a second class citizen, having to buy an unregulated product from a criminal? In a supposed free land of the free society? If you don’t like it, fine. But I do. Why does the wine drinker have those rights. Not only that but we see alcohol openly consumed in bars, at airports, on planes, at movies, parks, wine tastings and more. And it causes 88K deaths a year, and is the cause of much violence, rapes certainly. Why is this tolerated but not MJ?
Given your logic, why not legalize everything- cocaine, heroin, crystal meth? Let’s create a society of zombies, where the government sanctions the suicidal usage of all these substances. Is that the world you want to create?
Not sure why you bring up those hard drugs. Their usage is not that high overall for the country. Cannabis has about 33 Million of Americans ranging from daily to occasional.
I do not experience Cannabis as being a zombie.
I notice you ignored the harms that alcohol causes.
Cannabis is by all measures less harmful than alcohol.
1. You cannot die from ingesting MJ. But you can literally drink yourself to death.
I have heard of people who were so drunk that they fell asleep in a freezing room and died that way.
MJ simply doesn’t work in that way. Even if someone had a lot of it. But in my case, I have a very small amount. A gram or less per week.
Many adults in legal states are switching from alcohol to MJ. Perhaps this is what the fight is about, market share.
in Colorado, from ingesting the crap in the cakes, etc. That is fact. The point is the responsibility factor, or lack thereof. Go ahead, dumb yourselves down to the point where the damn government is emboldened to control and harm us, even more. And, of course, money is always the major factor. And, with Murphy and other “leaders,” the fastest, cheapest,way to generate easy money, mostly to pay for ever- expanding social programs. Including, not shockingly at all, our ever-expanding drug rehab problems.
Especially when the news isn’t great in Colorado.
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/25/colorado-marijuana-traffic-fatalities/
No one is forcing you or anyone to purchase anything. And edible have existed for at least 50 years. Why should people have to buy illegally? How many kids are killed using their parents guns? But you don’t want that banned no.
at every other bad choice behavior does not make your case for the additional problems inevitable under pot legalization, here. It always comes down/reverts back to “guns kill,” huh? No, slowly, none of the vices in life kill: improper and excessive use, and really bad human choices kill- as do knives, hammers, bombs, phone cords, ropes, any other inatinate object human beings choose to do bad things with!
There are studies that show lower rates. It’s not a huge reason for accidents. Which are cell use, alcohol, speeding and agressive driving. Why must responsible adults be punished over something less harmful than alcohol?
get your chance to prove how” responsible “ people are: given the selfish, not bright dynamics of today, here in the “pot garden state,” I will go legallly bet in that other vice, AC, that we will have more, not less, problems! I only hope your loyalty to the good old USA is as strong as it is for grubby, smelly, weed.
In an ideal world I suppose people don’t seek pleasues like alcohol, gambling but they do. We do know opioid od are lower in legal states.
Why is liking cannabis selfish? Most people partake of beer 🍷 wine other indulgances. Why here such puritanical mind set. I just can’t understand.
Just accept that many believe we don’t need another form of escapism to add to our existing problems and issues. Just accept that many have the right to believe it can be a gateway drug, hurts children exposed to its chemical properties, stinks, and is just plain disgusting, for various reasons, period.