On March 6, recreational cannabis dominated a large part of public forum for Tuckerton borough’s third consecutive council meeting.
Environmental Committee Chair Kaylyn Ullman spoke on the subject, ultimately arguing that between job opportunities and revenue, cannabis could create a huge step forward for sustainability in Tuckerton, especially for younger families, and without having to sacrifice “what little woods we have left.”
Citing a long family lineage with roots in Tuckerton, Ullman emphasized, “There’s nothing more that I want than for this town to stay safe and quaint. I want my kids to want to get out of here because it’s too boring for them, but have them ultimately wanting to stay because this town is their safe place, like it is for me.” She stressed that “in order to afford to keep this borough preserved in a manner we can all agree on, we need the (cannabis) revenue.”
Addressing retirees in opposition, Ullman said, “They forget that this community has young, growing families in need of work and community, and honestly, we lack the community effort when it comes to that age gap.”
Charles Benson, Pine Beach resident and a co-founder and CEO of Jersey Shore Extracts LLC, also shared on the topic of cannabis.
Addressing opposing claims that crime would skyrocket, Benson argued contrarily, citing several studies finding “that crime does not increase when a jurisdiction allows recreational cannabis sales, and some studies have even found that crime involving property theft decreases significantly.”