I am writing today to urge you to support S-2703/A-4497 "New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act." Creating a regulated program has a multitude of positive effects both at a state level in and local communities. Some of these benefits include: • Eliminating a dangerous illicit market which threatens the safety of our citizens. o Drug dealers don’t card – dispensary operators do. • Keeping cannabis away from children by restricting access to those 21 and over. o As a result of legalization, regulations and education, Colorado teen use of cannabis has dropped from number one in the country to number seven. • Freeing up local police from petty possession arrests to focus on real crime. o NJ spends more than $145 million incarcerating more than 32,000 people for simple possession every year. • Legal cannabis business operators create jobs and pay taxes. o Additional tax revenue is expected exceed more than $300 million • Delivering social justice to those disproportionally effected by the war on drugs. o This legislation will enable those with minor possession offenses to have their records expunged so they can move forward in a productive life. • Preventing exposure to dangerous and sometimes deadly contaminants in illegal market products. o In a regulated industry, cannabis products will go through 3rd-party testing for quality control. • Creating over 20,000 new full-time direct jobs. o The ancillary jobs are expected to be even greater. • Expanding access to those who cannot afford or qualify for New Jersey's limited medicinal cannabis program o Great access to more affordable products for patients happens in every state that has both a medical and adult-use program. Please be on the right side of history and support common sense cannabis reform. Support S-2703/A-4497.

I am reaching out today to ask your support for S-2703/A-4497 "New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act." This is an issue that is of the upmost importance to me personally and the majority of New Jersey voters. A recent poll from Monmouth University confirmed that 62% of NJ residents support adult-use cannabis legalization and that number continues to grow rapidly as we continue to learn more about the benefits of a regulated cannabis industry. Implementing a regulated industry provides a multitude of benefits to include: • Job creation – more than 20,000 new direct jobs and just as many indirect. • Taxpayer savings – NJ spends more than $135 million annually incarcerating an average of 32,000 people per year for simple possession. • Teen use of cannabis reduced – Colorado teen use of cannabis went from number one in the nation to number seven after legalization due to regulations and education. • Opioid use declines – Where cannabis is legalized, people seek cannabis as a healthier alternative to opioids and, as a result, opioid overdoses decline significantly. • Instead of spending hundreds of millions arresting tens of thousands, NJ has the ability to raise more than $300 million in new revenue each year. It’s time for New Jersey to address this issue head-on. Please do the right thing on March 25th by voting “YES” on S-2703/A-4497 and finally providing New Jersey residents a safe and regulated adult-use cannabis market.

As your constituent and a registered voter, I am writing to ask your support of S-2703/A-4497 "New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act." The time has come for New Jersey to right the injustices of the past and create a legal, regulated adult-use cannabis market. Continuing prohibition puts our children at risk to underage sales and contaminated products, targets minorities, denies opportunities for new small business owners and job creation. Cannabis prohibition feeds crime and a dangerous black market. It puts contaminated and unregulated products on our streets, misuses our limited police resources, drives the opioid epidemic and costs NJ taxpayers more than $135 million incarcerating people for simple possession. Rather than spend $135 million in taxes incarcerating people, under a regulated cannabis industry, we will generate more than $300 million in new annual tax revenue along with tens of thousands of new jobs. This is an issue near and dear to the majority of New Jersey residents (62% according to recent Monmouth University). Please help put and end to do the senseless and costly injustice of prohibition and vote “YES” for S-2703/A-4497 on March 25th.

I am a registered voter in your district. After reviewing your voting record, I truly believe you want what is best for the people in the communities you represent. That said, I implore you to support S-2703/A-4497 "New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act." There would be no greater injustice than to impede progress on what stands to be the greatest opportunity of our lifetime. Adult-use cannabis legalization will create a regulated market that will give the towns we live in the much-needed revenue boost, property tax relief better protection for our residents as we help clean up the black market. We deserve safe communities and letting drug dealers roam the streets running a dangerous black market has proven to be a costly failure. What we need are we are well lit, clean, highly regulated and secured establishments that will manufacture and dispense safe products in a professional manner to adults 21 and over. Instead of putting profits into the hands of criminals we can we can allow small business operators to create jobs and pay taxes. Remember, drug dealers don’t card – dispensary operators do. On March 25th, please help New Jersey finally join the long and growing list of states that will be on the right side of history by voting “YES” on S-2703/A-4497.

In a few days, we will be reaching a turning point for the residents of New Jersey. We will have the opportunity to join a long and growing list of states from the East Coast to the West Coast, that have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and over – including the entire country of Canada – with the passage of S-2703/A-4497 "New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act." While the Compassionate Use of Medicinal Marijuana Act in New Jersey has undoubtedly helped many patients who desperately needed it, the medical program has fallen far short of serving the entire population of NJ voters who would prefer to have legal and healthier alternatives to many prescription drugs and alcohol. Many residents cannot or will not enroll in the medical program for issues such as privacy and/or prohibitive costs. For example, many veterans are afraid to register as medical patients since the federal government still classifies cannabis as a schedule one narcotic. Meanwhile, 83% of our military and veterans support medical marijuana as it is one of the best solutions for PTSD and a much safer and healthier alternative to opioids. Many workplaces still discriminate against medical marijuana patients as well and people are driven to suffer or use additive pharmaceutical substances with harmful side effects. A discrete and well-regulated market provides a safe environment for everyone over the age of 21 who want responsible and safe access to cannabis. Please help New Jersey transition into a kinder future and stop restricting access to a substance that saves lives instead of taking them. Please vote “YES” on S-2703/A-4497 on March 25th.

On March 25th we are facing a historic vote with the opportunity to legalize adult use cannabis through S-2703/A-4497 "New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory and Expungement Aid Modernization Act.". The persecution of our citizens due to prohibition has gone on long enough. Everyday 88 people are arresting for the non-violent cannabis crime of simple possession. Black and brown NJ resident are arrested at 3-5 times the rate of their white counter parts even thought they consumer cannabis at the same rates. This is a tragic waste of police resources but, even more importantly, we are ruining the lives of people for possessing a simple plant. Unlike alcohol, tobacco, prescription medications (which of course encompasses the out of control opioid epidemic) no one has ever died from cannabis. We need to bring social justice to communities unfairly targeted by the misguided drug war. Give real opportunities to woman and minorities by creating a regulated industry that will bring new growth and revenue into our town instead of perpetuating a cycle or crime and tragedy. The truth is, cannabis prohibition has caused far more damage than cannabis itself ever could. Decriminalization is not enough. Medical only is not enough. The only way to fully resolve these issues is to create a regulated market that can be a source of pride instead of pain. Please show that you care about the people of New Jersey by voting “YES” on S-2703/A-4497 and giving help give life to a new vibrate industry and a brighter future.