To the Editor:

Now is the time to create a well-regulated and intentional cannabis industry in Princeton. Our entire community, especially our children, will benefit from a thoughtfully considered cannabis dispensary in our beautiful town. I write this letter as a prospective cannabis business owner seeking to bring the therapeutic benefits of cannabis to my community.

I am a contributing member of our society: I am a wife, a mother of two, and a trained neuroscientist and educator. I earned my undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University. Importantly, I also personally know the power of cannabis having used cannabis off and on for 20+ years to supplement antidepressants and ADHD meds taken since I was a teen. 

Our endogenous cannabinoid system brings balance and homeostasis to most systems in our bodies. Consuming cannabis can often be helpful to rebalance our systems. Indeed, our earliest medical texts from China and India write of the many ailments that cannabis can treat, and more recent medical use has corroborated many of these uses. Cannabis contains a complex assortment of compounds that act on our brains and bodies. Different plant strains, extraction techniques, and methods of consumption can have or result in different combinations of bio-active compounds. Some combinations work better for some and others for others. Finding the optimal match is an art and science best suited to personalized, in-person assistance and care. 

While the thought of our kids consuming age inappropriate drugs is scary, what’s even scarier are the ramifications of our kids not trusting us to properly inform them regarding socially consumed drugs, including cannabis, alcohol, and even caffeine. Not a single overdose from cannabis has ever been reported, unlike from tobacco and alcohol, so cannabis safety data is reported as a reflection of adverse events (such as dry mouth and fatigue) and not fatalities as is the case for every other federally scheduled drug. Simply put, adult use of cannabis has proven to be safe through many millennia of use. Teaching our children otherwise will result in them losing trust in us. 

Our children are able to learn at a very young age that they aren’t developmentally old enough to consume alcohol and are able to learn likewise about cannabis. We will work with our school and health system to provide age appropriate information regarding cannabis and medicinal plants for our youngest to our oldest members of our community. 

There will be cannabis dispensaries around Princeton. Allowing one here will ensure we all have a say in how cannabis is presented to reflect our town and values and educate our children.

Please join me on March 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arts Council to hear myself and the founding team at Maude’s Potted Plant discuss our vision for what could be Princeton’s first dispensary and address your questions and comments. Please also let your local elected officials know your stance on cannabis when registering to speak at the Council meeting on March 29 (https://tinyurl.com/March29Meeting).

Abigail Kalmbach, Ph.D.
Orchard Circle