After reading former Montclair Police Chief Thomas J. Russo’s latest rant against cannabis in Montclair Local’s letters to the editor section, I feel compelled to respond to his ongoing propaganda on the topic of adult use of cannabis.
New Jersey voters overwhelmingly (by a 2-1 ratio) approved the legalization of adult use of cannabis, with Montclair residents voting 4-1 in favor of it, in case Russo missed that minor fact.
That he chooses to criticize and raise a red flag on the negative impact of children seeing their parents consume cannabis responsibly — while neglecting to acknowledge that it’s OK for children to see their parents and their friends consume enormous amounts of alcohol at a weekend BBQ, get sloppy drunk and then get in the car to drive home, endangering anyone on the road — shows he is living in the “Reefer Madness” world rather than reality.
Nor does he reference the amount of parents who are addicted to opiates and whose children see them take OxyContin, Percocet or other painkillers that not only put them, but also their children at risk.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 2018 data showed 128 people died each day from opiate overdoses, many of whom were respectable professionals and parents; research also shows that no one has ever died from an overdose from consuming cannabis.
As a subscriber and member of the Montclair Local, I ask you to stop giving the former police chief this platform to continue his fake news regarding cannabis. On July 13, the Township Council introduced ordinances to allow legal cannabis businesses to open their doors once licenses for retail and other affiliated businesses are issued by the state. We should be using the pages of Montclair Local to educate its readers and the community about the many benefits of using legal cannabis and medical cannabis to help people improve their lives.
I’d be happy to volunteer my services in that capacity. I run my own public relations firm based in town with a large cannabis practice, as well as being a well-known advocate. I also write about cannabis on a regular basis for Rolling Stone and Munkey Biz, so I am very connected in this space and would welcome the chance to bring voices that will explain in an understandable way anything and everything you need to know to make an informed decision about using it.
Stu Zakim
Montclair
President, Bridge Strategic Communications
Montclair Local’s Opinion section is an open forum for civil discussion in which we invite readers to discuss town matters, articles published in Montclair, or previously published letters. Views expressed and published in this section are solely those of the writers, and do not represent the views of Montclair Local.
Letters to the editor: To submit a letter to the editor, email letters@montclairlocal.news, or mail “Letters to the Editor,” 309 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ, 07042 (email is preferred). Submissions must include the name, address and phone number of the writer for verification. Only the writer’s name and town of residence will be published. Montclair Local does not publish anonymous opinion pieces.
Letters must be no more than 500 words in length, and must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be eligible for potential publication in that week’s Thursday print issue. Letters may be edited by Montclair Local for grammar and style. While our goal is to publish most letters we receive, Montclair Local reserves the right to decline publication of a letter for any reason, including but not limited to concerns about unproven or defamatory statements, inappropriate language, topic matter far afield of the particular interests of Montclair residents, or available space.
Town Square: Montclair Local also accepts longer-form opinion essays from residents aiming to generate discussion on topics specific to the community, under our “Town
Square” banner. “Town Square” essays should be no more than 750 words in length, and topics should be submitted to letters@montclairlocal.news at least seven days prior to publication.