the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Taking significant, historic steps toward setting regulation of adult use cannabis, strengthening the state’s medical marijuana program, expanding expungement laws to include expedited services for residents.
Senator Declan O’Scanlon said legislation fixing New Jersey’s medical marijuana program shouldn’t be tied to the fate of a separate effort to legalize the adult use of recreation marijuana.
“If we truly believe that our medical marijuana program exists to ease the suffering of very sick patients, we shouldn’t tie efforts to improve the program to the outcome of a vote on recreational use,” said O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “Unfortunately, it seems likely that the very real needs of medical marijuana patients will continue to be held hostage by the supporters of full legalization, who insist that the very different pieces of legislation must live or die together on the floor of the Legislature. It’s despicable.”
O’Scanlon is a prime sponsor of S-10/2246, which revises New Jersey’s decade-old medical marijuana program to better meet the needs of patients and caregivers.
Separate legislation, S-2703 and S-3205, would legalize the recreational use of marijuana by adults and allow for the expungement of various convictions related to marijuana possession and distribution, respectively.
Legislative leaders have publicly stated that the consideration of the medical marijuana legislation is conditional upon the approval of the other bills at Monday’s scheduled session of the New Jersey Senate.
“We essentially are being told that our efforts to ease the pain of cancer patients will be blocked if we don’t first vote for recreational use and to expunge a bunch of unrelated criminal records, including those of drug dealers,” added O’Scanlon. “It’s a false equivalence that we shouldn’t be making. This is exactly what’s wrong with Trenton, and exactly why people have such disgust for government.”
Yes so very true it’s all bullshit. Too much political nonsense getting in the way it’s about tax dollars. Make the marijuana legit so it’s clean and safe. No chemicals no poison end of the story. Just that alone will save lives. This is about making $1 billion in tax Money don’t be fooled. The powers to be want to know where will that money go. If you tell everyone that it will reduce their taxes, or schools, then you will see it be passed real fast. Right I thought so.
Anon – Never met a hard or harder drug user who didn’t start as a stoner first. I wish you would cite your “facts”. Speaking of gateways, in my opinion, medical marijuana is gateway legislation for recreational use. If the state was really on the marijuana side, they’d get out of the business altogether instead of this tax grab.
“Senator Declan O’Scanlon Says Medical Marijuana is Separate Issue from Adult use of Recreation Marijuana”
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Correct.
Medical Marijuana is a scam and a farce used to pave the way for the legalization of Recreational Use Marijuana.
It’s a nod and a wink “tool” used to soften public resistance, normalize marijuan use and take away any stigma.
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Recreational use marijuana is the unvarnished end goal – easy to implement once the public is properly “prepared”.
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So yes, they are different.
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But everyone knows this and I am not telling you anything new…
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No way medical marijuana is helping so many people with cancer and so many other problems that you had out of your ass you dam nit wit. Do you think the scientist I fully shit please use like a cop.
Make the marijuana legit so it’s clean and safe.
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Isn’t this the argument used to justify killing babies?
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Are we allowed to use it to justify killing brain cells too??
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Well, see, you just showed your ignorance there. If you legalize recreational use, you put the street dealers out of business and ensure product quality… “win win” for everyone but the dealers. State monetizes what is already a multi-billion dollar black market and quality of the weed improves for consumers. Anyone willing to say weed is a gateway drug to narcotics is either a cop or a nit wit.
“No way medical marijuana is helping so many people with cancer and so many other problems that you had out of your ass you dam nit wit. Do you think the scientist I fully shit please use like a cop.”
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Putting aside the fact that this reads like the poster wrote it when they were stoned, I do have to agree with this part of their statement:
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(There is) ‘no way medical marijuana is helping so many people with cancer and so many other problems …’
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Well, see, you just showed your ignorance there. If you legalize recreational use, you geometrically increase and mainstream its use. Advertising targeted to kids, education in schools, etc etc etc etc.
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Also, anyone willing to say weed is not a gateway drug to narcotics is either a drug dealer or a nit wit.
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so by your logic, since underage drinking is such a problem, we should throw up our hands and multiply the problem by legalizing marijuana use. Why not save a lot of money (or even make money) by legalizing recreational opiod use.
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You need to stop posting “logical” arguments when you are high.
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