A Love Letter to Princeton

Perspectives Revisited

Last month, in Princeton’s Leaders: Are They Creating a Better Tomorrow (February 2022, Issue #23) we shared with that 22 car accidents in Princeton last year involved a car hitting a pedestrian in the article Working to Ensure Roadways are Safe for All Who Use Them. This was unfortunately a trend also seen statewide. In an effort increase the safety for pedestrians and bikers, the New Jersey Safe Passing Law was nearly unanimously approved last year and it will soon go into effect on March 1^st. The new law requires that a car passing a pedestrian, biker or person using an electric scooter or wheelchair must move over one lane. If there is not an additional lane available, the driver is required to keep at least a 4 feet distance and slow to 25MPH.

In Where Does Princeton Stand?  A Local Perspective on National Issues (November 2021, Issue #21) we shared with you how the shortage of semiconductor components was decreasing the supply of new vehicles and effecting local businesses like Mercedes Benz of Princeton in the article The Perfect Storm of Problems Creates Hurdles for Local Businesses and Consumers. Unfortunately, the situation is worsening weekly. A report by AutoForecast Solutions in late January indicated 187,200 vehicles have already been taken out of production plans this year. That’s a quick gain of about 25% from the previous week and one that is expected to continue. To increase production and reduce America’s dependence on foreign supply, Intel has committed to creating two new microchip plants in Ohio, but they aren’t expected to produce new chips until 2025.

Letter to the Editor

In Local Changes on the Horizon (August 2021, Issue #18) we wrote about the municipal discussions surrounding newly legalized cannabis in the article Should Princeton Welcome Cannabis Businesses to Town Now That It’s Legal? In this month’s Letter to the Editor, one resident responds:

In 1994, the CEOs of the leading Tobacco companies testified to Congress on whether or not nicotine was addictive. The CEOs of Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, U.S. Tobacco, Lorillard Tobacco, Liggett Group, Brown and Williamson Tobacco and American Tobacco were all unanimous in their declaration that “no, nicotine is not addictive.” Anyone watching the replay of this event today, 28 years later, would likely view it as one of the most stunning attempts at public deception with devastating consequences on future public health.

A more recent example of organized public deception was Purdue Pharma’s deliberate suppression of evidence of OxyContin’s powerful addictive properties which led to the opioid crisis. Purdue Pharma’s President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Friedman and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Paul D. Goldenheim pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor “misbranding” charge and the executives paid a combined $634.5 million in fines.

Today, Princeton is facing its own glaring example of a breach of public trust with the potential for tragic consequences.

Would it surprise Princeton residents to know that the Princeton Cannabis Task Force includes the former President of NJ Cannabis Industry Association and the former Chief Medical Officer of 4Front Holdings? Members of the Cannabis Task Force and its council liaisons are recommending putting retail pot shops within 200ft of schools. Their proposed 200ft setback stands out as the most aggressive (and most favorable to the Cannabis industry) in the country. The NJ Cannabis Industry Association’s mission is to drive growth for the Cannabis industry and 4Front Holdings is a publicly traded Cannabis retail and brand development company. Do residents really believe the Cannabis industry is making decisions with our best interests in mind?

I urge residents to remember the patterns that emerged in the tobacco and opioid examples where executives from industry suppressed evidence of the harmful effects of their products. We now know that the use of cigarettes is responsible for some 480,000 deaths each year. As this fact has seeped into mainstream knowledge and cigarette sales, especially among newer users, continue to sharply decline, big tobacco giants are looking to market a new product: marijuana. The Cannabis Task Force’s town council liaisons would like you to believe they are pushing for pot shops within 200ft of schools for social justice reasons. Nowhere in big tobacco or 4Front Holdings’ mission statement will you see reference to social justice goals. No parent of any race wants more hazards introduced into their children’s environment. If the Cannabis Task Force Council liaisons want to make a positive impact on social justice, why not establish programs that lift people up? There is no evidence that more drug use improves any measure of economic, academic, social, career or political advancement for any race.

Tell Princeton’s Town Council you don’t support recreational Cannabis dispensaries and you object to the Cannabis industry participating on the Princeton CTF.  Email the Mayor and Town Council. Register for and attend the Special Council Meeting – Presentation and Discussion on Cannabis 3/29/22 @ 7pm.

– Princeton Resident, Sheila McLaughlin (of Walnut Lane)