To the Editor:

It is with dismay that I learned of the possibility recreational cannabis (RC) shops would open in Princeton. While we’re all well aware that RC has been legalized at the state level, which will rightfully address decriminalization, it need not imply we leverage the law to create our local pot paradise. We’re debating an intoxicant here, an established entry drug towards hard drugs.

While Princeton is a student town, the Council has always guarded that Princeton never became a party town, with a restricted number of alcohol licenses in place and an absence of nightclubs and the like. Licensing cannabis shops in town would be contrary to this overarching philosophy. Many of the surrounding townships have opted out. Do we wish Princeton to be the pivot of RC tourism for Central Jersey, the pervasive smell of cannabis enveloping Palmer Square and Witherspoon Street?

A number of recent letters in this publication rightfully highlighted the risk of cannabis use for the developing brains of adolescents and young adults. Will we be creating a sense of normalcy around cannabis use? Make the lives of our youngsters more complex and make it harder for them to navigate their path towards a happy, healthy, and productive life?

One could argue that those who are prone to addiction will not be stopped by banning pot stores in the neighborhood. Bear in mind this is not a binary situation but a spectrum. Placing RC stores in town is like putting the fox in charge of the hen house. It is moving the needle in the wrong direction. While there may well be benefits of local RC stores, they will never outweigh the risks. Licensing RC storefronts in Princeton would be absolute folly.

Pieter Van Remoortere
Hemlock Circle