To the Editor:

In 2020, an incredible 78 percent of Princeton residents voted to legalize recreational cannabis for adults age 21+. Statewide, the number was closer to 67 percent in favor, notably larger than the margin by which Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump (57 percent to 41 percent) – and that was considered a landslide. Efforts at overturning the presidential election should elicit a deserved eye roll; surely too, the recent attempts to pressure Princeton Council to use zoning ordinances to prevent cannabis dispensaries from opening in town should be met with similar outcry.

The attempts by a small minority to exert outsized political pressure on Council brings to mind similar national efforts to advance unpopular views on issues that otherwise enjoy broad support: whether it’s curtailing women’s reproductive rights, banning books that run afoul of far-right ideologies, or denying free and fair access to vote in communities of color. The recent attempts to block cannabis businesses from opening in Princeton is just another way to misuse local government to subvert the results of an election. Remember that 78 percent number? I’m not even sure that ice cream on a hot day would enjoy that kind of support.

Of course, cannabis dispensaries should be regulated – just like liquor stores, of which Princeton has many. But there’s no reason to have a double standard and banish them to the outskirts of town. When my partner asks me to pick up a bottle of wine, I’m glad it’s convenient – even walkable. I can just stop by a local shop – not get in my car and drive three towns over because of some prohibition-era zoning ordinance.

But more than mere convenience, the most salient reason for cannabis legalization and normalization is equity and social justice. Anti-cannabis laws have been used for decades to criminalize and incarcerate too many people and rip apart families — especially in communities of color. We can’t erase that ugly, racist history, but we can insure that our future is fairer for everyone.

Where Council should step in is to prioritize that local people (especially people of color and women) should be the first to own these new shops. Let’s ensure that the benefits of this industry aren’t just for distant corporate interests — but that they are locally owned businesses in step with our community’s values. And let’s use some of the tax revenue to help with cannabis education so our children can make informed decisions (like they should about alcohol) when they are of age.

I say all this as a 42-year-old father who (sadly) isn’t the touring bongo player for Phish. Neither alcohol or cannabis should be confused for health food — and they certainly aren’t good for growing brains. But, for adults who wish to partake — or (ahem) “partoke” — we shouldn’t treat these new businesses any different than our liquor stores. And we should trust our neighbors to operate and patronize these businesses responsibly.

Kip Berman
Birch Avenue