As mayor of Trenton and an original sponsor of the bill permitting adult-use marijuana, I wholeheartedly support such legislation currently under consideration by the state Senate (S2703) and Assembly (A4497). The legislation will do a lot of good for New Jersey as a whole and, specifically, for urban centers around the state in the way of economic opportunities and social justice concerns.
For decades, prohibition has exacted severe, long-term harm to communities of color and stunted the growth of New Jersey’s urban centers, including Trenton. It has also failed to make our communities safer, as the illicit marketplace has flourished in the absence of legitimate competition, both in Trenton and across the state, from urban neighborhoods to suburban towns to rural communities.
New Jersey cannot afford for the Legislature to delay adult-use any longer. If it does, thousands of lives will be destroyed in the process, while the unregulated marketplace continues to expose residents to public health and safety risks that legalization would mitigate. It also means another year of lost tax revenue for municipalities like Trenton that would benefit from additional funding for public education and infrastructure. We need our state legislators to vote in favor of legalization and responsible regulation and move New Jersey forward.