Violence in Trenton can be greatly reduced by ending the War on Drugs

 

The Trentonian Election Notebook: 

Trenton needs to reassess response to drugs [KEN WOLSKI GUEST OPED]

By Ken Wolski | | Chairman, Trenton Cannabis Advisory Committee 

PUBLISHED: August 27, 2026 

The upcoming election in Trenton has raised significant questions about what the next mayor can do to prevent violence in New Jersey’s capital city.

There have been various proposals about reallocating police resources to better prevent, and respond to violence, including murders that occur near City Hall.

But the reality is that the most effective way to reduce violence in the inner cities is beyond the ability of any mayor. The State of New Jersey must step up and continue the progress we have made in ending the War on Drugs. When the Garden State legalized marijuana in 2021 we ended approximately 50% of the War on Drugs.

We did not eliminate black market marijuana, but we created a legal alternative that significantly reduced the violence associated with illegal sales of marijuana. When disputes arise in any illegal market there is no access to the court system to resolve these disputes–they must be settled on the streets. Prohibition is a failed policy that breeds violence and is ineffective at curtailing drug use.

Making drugs illegal only makes them more concentrated to avoid detection, and more dangerous. The relatively benign coca leaf becomes the dangerous crack cocaine dealt by violent black marketeers.

There were over 30,000 possession arrests a year in New Jersey before we legalized marijuana. These arrests and subsequent incarcerations only made it more difficult for the individuals involved to subsequently find honest work. These arrests also harmed the family and the community. When a child has a parent incarcerated it is an Adverse Childhood Event. Adverse Childhood Events make it more likely that the child will have a low socioeconomic status and be more prone to substance abuse and contact with the criminal justice system. Thus, the War on Drugs creates poverty, drug abuse, and violence.

New Jerseyans must realize that drug use is a health issue, not a criminal justice issue. There should be legal ways to purchase currently illegal drugs. In this way when an individual’s drug abuse becomes problematic it can be more easily identified and treated than it is now.

Currently illegal drugs are used for many reasons. These include treatment of mental, emotional and/or physical ailments. Some drugs are used to explore new vistas of human awareness and abilities. Drugs are also used in search of a guaranteed American right—the pursuit of happiness. The compelling reasons that drugs are used will never go away. The best we can do is reduce the harms that are associated with drug use.

Violence in Trenton can be greatly reduced by ending the War on Drugs since Ground Zero of this war is the inner city, like our own Trenton.

https://www.trentonian.com/2026/08/27/election-notebook-trenton-needs-to-reassess-response-to-drugs-ken-wolski-guest-oped/

Editor’s Note: The Trentonian’s Election Notebook is a collection of local political announcements and opinion pieces courtesy of the respective campaigns. To submit press releases, op-eds, letters, and photos, email the editor, John Berry, at jberry@Trentonian.com