Senate President
935 Kings Highway
Suite 400
West Deptford, NJ 08086
August 27, 2019
Dear Senator Sweeney:
Thank you for considering marijuana legalization in the state legislature in November 2019. The Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. (CMMNJ) wishes you great success in this effort. CMMNJ stands ready to assist you in any way that we can.
Marijuana legalization involves issues of medical freedom, religious freedom and personal freedom.
With marijuana legalization comes ease of access and greater affordability of the medical benefits of marijuana to an ever-increasing number of patients. Adults could buy it over-the-counter, like aspirin.
Marijuana legalization also strikes a blow for religious freedom. There are religions in the U.S. that regard marijuana as a holy plant that is used sacramentally by sincere believers. These religions include Hindu, Rastafarian and others. They will no longer be persecuted and imprisoned for their beliefs.
Marijuana legalization will decrease mass incarceration in the state. It will decrease oppression of the inner city poor and minorities, and all the misery attendant upon the prison experience.
Marijuana legalization also includes financial benefits to society from taxes and cost avoidance. Property taxes may well go down when the state no longer has to endure the expense of arresting 34,000 residents each year, mostly for possessing small amounts of marijuana. A robust marijuana industry contributes to the state in many ways.
CMMNJ asks you, Senator Sweeney, in return for our support, to sponsor a separate bill in 2020 to allow patients who are registered in the New Jersey Medicinal Marijuana Program to grow six cannabis plants for their personal use. These plants may be tagged and taxed and strictly regulated. The reasons for home cultivation for patients are affordability of medicine, availability of specific therapeutic strains of cannabis, and the physical therapy of gardening itself. This means a great deal to so many patients. We trust you will meet their needs by sponsoring this legislation next year.
Thank you for your support of marijuana reform in the Garden State!
Ken Wolski, RN, MPA
Executive Director
Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc.
219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618
609.394.2137 www.cmmnj.org
CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit educational organization.