Time to Let the Voters Speak on Marijuana
By Albert B. Kelly
The issue of legalizing marijuana (aka cannabis), is one of
those issues that can spark a whole lot of emotion both for and against. This
is understandable. For several generations, marijuana was most often associated
with the stereotype of drug-crazed zombies, drop-outs, and doped-up hordes
raiding the snack isle at supermarkets across the nation. Marijuana didn’t have
the social acceptance of alcohol and it has only been in the last couple of
decades that cannabis has been examined from a medical and scientific
perspective. Some insist that it is a gateway drug to harder substances while
others insist that it is an extraordinarily effective way to treat certain
symptoms and conditions. Perhaps the truth rests somewhere in between.
Regardless, the issue of legalizing marijuana in New Jersey will
be a much-debated topic at the level of State government; but also among
municipalities, interest groups; the business community, public health
advocates, and in law enforcement and legal circles state-wide. No matter what
happens, certain groups will be dissatisfied, but if it does become legal, the
focus will then shift to the local level and legalization will play out on the
street.
Given all of this, I believe that a process should be in
place that would at least allow residents the chance to be heard on some of the
potential local impacts here in the Bridgeton community and while it may not be
possible to have the type of robust give and take the issue deserves, we can
use the nonbinding referendum process to let the voters express themselves so
that we, as elected officials, can factor in where the majority of voters come
down on the local impacts.
Accordingly, I asked City Council at the July meeting to
pass a resolution directing the Cumberland County Clerk to place non-binding
advisory referendum questions on the ballot at the next general election which
will be held on November 6, 2018. City Council agreed that the voters should
weigh in and they passed the resolution which will make its way to the County
Clerk.
While we, as a municipality, lack authority and standing
when it comes to the question of legalizing marijuana, the municipality does
have a dog in the fight when it comes to questions of zoning and whether or not
to allow retail sales, cultivation, or distribution facilities and if we do
allow these operations, where these facilities are to be located.
With that in mind, these nonbinding public questions speak directly
to these potential zoning considerations in light of the fact that should it be
legal, cannabis would be a product in much the same way that alcohol is a
product and it will come with many of the same issues and concerns. But should
it be legal, it will also come with certain opportunities connected with tax
revenue and other economic impacts and that also needs to be weighed in the
balance.
So I encourage every Bridgeton resident who is eligible, to
register and show up at the polls to vote, but also to give either a “thumbs
up” or a “thumbs down” on whether we should allow retail sales, cultivation,
and distribution of marijuana. And should you say “yes”, the next question is where
these operations should take place in the community.
While the outcome may be nonbinding, that doesn’t mean the
outcome is unimportant. Quite the contrary because as an elected official, my
expectation would be that voter sentiment (read public sentiment) might be
reflected to one degree or another in any future policies adopted by us as
elected leaders. At a minimum, your response to these questions should help
inform our policies.
If you’re not registered to vote, the deadline is October 16th.
In order to register, you can do so by visiting New Jersey’s voter registration
page at https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/voting-information.html
to fill out the registration form. You can also contact the Cumberland County
Board of Elections at (856) 453-5801 or by visiting https://cumberlandcountyvotes.com/
. You can find out where to vote by visiting https://cumberlandcountyvotes.com/voters/polling-places/city-of-bridgeton/
and this will provide you with the polling places in Bridgeton.
A difference is made by those who show up and there is a lot
to consider here. While we can’t exercise direct control over the question
legalization, we can have a say in whether we allow retail sales, cultivation
and distribution and where, should legalization take place. Election Day is
your time to speak on marijuana in your community.