State Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, said he is concerned about the money behind the pro-legalization movement and the promises of an economic windfall for New Jersey following a public hearing at the Second Baptist Church on the impacts recreational marijuana could have on minority communities.
Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam said last week he believes legalization is the “new gold rush” and could be a boon for the resort’s economy. Most of the nine-member City Council have said they want more information about what a state legalization bill would look like before they decide.
After Tuesday’s hearing, Rice noted groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and NAACP both have the best intentions supporting cannabis legalization as a social justice issue for minorities, but said lobbyists with deep pockets are pulling the strings behind the scenes.
“We’re not doing the research,” Rice said. “They’re writing the legislation and we’re jumping on board.”
Rice said people of color have been given false promises by the government about well-meaning policies in the past only to have the end result being significant burdens on their communities, using casino-gaming in Atlantic City as an example.