Bridgewater Opposes Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The Bridgewater Township Council passed a resolution on Monday opposing the legalization of recreational cannabis, also known as marijuana, in New Jersey.

The resolution was approved four to one during the April 16 council meeting. Council President Christine Henderson Rose was the only vote against the resolution. Council members Matthew Moench, Allen Kurdyla, Howard Norgalis and Filipe Pedroso all voted in favor of the resolution to oppose marijuana.

"It is my belief that the resolution was pre-mature," Rose said. "The legislation has not been adopted yet and we truly do not know what it will look like by the time it gets through to the Governor, assuming that it gets that far. I prefer to make a decision based on fact, not supposition."

The resolution states numerous reasons why the township took this stance including negatively affecting a user’s ability to operate a motor vehicle and generally react to hazardous situations.

It also noted how some healthcare professionals consider cannabis a “gateway” drug and, in the midst of a serious and well-publicized opioid epidemic in New Jersey, the Township Council "believes that legalized recreational cannabis may compound this epidemic and hinder the efforts of law enforcement and public health officials in curtailing same."

The resolution goes on to say that the township council may also in the future create an ordinance to ban the sale, processing, storage and distribution of recreational marijuana within the township.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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