Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula announced today that he would support legislation introduced by New Jersey Senator Nick Scutari that would legalize marijuana use in New Jersey. He issued the following statement:
“As an engineer, I was trained to solve problems by developing solutions that are based upon scientific facts. When it comes to marijuana, we have a very simple solution to a variety of issues that have been caused by bad policy; the solution is legalization.”
“This isn’t a question of ideology so much as it is a case of having a vast body of scientific research that weighs heavily in favor of legalization. As a matter of social justice, the laws governing marijuana use in the United States and in New Jersey have led to mass incarceration, which disproportionately and unfairly impacts minorities, a fact which to me, is unacceptable. In addition to there being proven medical benefits, science has shown that responsible adult marijuana use isn’t any more dangerous than responsible adult alcohol use.”
“What we have at present is an illegal market for marijuana that contributes to a cycle of violence in our cities. If we bring the sale and regulation of marijuana above board, we can make strides in reducing street crime related to marijuana sales, as well as make marijuana safer. There are provisions in the bill to fund drug education and rehabilitation. We need to take this commitment seriously.”
“Additionally, from a purely economic perspective, we have an opportunity to develop a robust new stream of revenue to fund transportation, infrastructure and drug education and rehabilitation programs. The bottom line is, we’ve had policy governing the sale and consumption alcohol that has, for the most part, worked, so why shouldn’t we take the same approach with marijuana? Colorado and Washington are having success with legalization. We should make sure New Jersey doesn’t end up at the back of the pack on this issue.”
“I applaud the efforts of Senator Scutari and Assemblywoman Linda Stender in advancing legislation to legalize marijuana in New Jersey and will whole heartedly advocate for its passage.”