A new poll shows that New Jersey voters strongly favor a marijuana legalization measure on the November ballot—and also back higher taxes on pot sales with revenue earmarked for drug awareness programs. In a sign of the legalization movement's growing momentum in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, 66 percent of likely voters in New Jersey support legalization—about 5 percentage points higher than in April. About 55 percent said they want higher taxes on marijuana than there are on other goods and services, while 71 percent back directing the tax dollars to drug education—perhaps about the risks and dangers posed by marijuana.
There’s no word in the survey about regulation of the cannabis market to prevent youth access to the drug, or provisions for local control to keep pot out of neighborhoods that don’t want it—which were supported by a majority of respondents in the recent Rosenthal Center Cannabis Perceptions Poll. As the rush to legalization continues, perhaps proponents should read the CDC’s recent call for more research into the impact of cannabis in the workplace.
The challenges of increasing cannabis consumption by workers and possible worker impairment, requires urgent and critical attention, the CDC says. One area of special concern is whether marijuana increases the risk of traffic crashes by workers who drive, as has been shown in previous studies of traffic fatalities in states that have legalized marijuana. These are critical questions that should be addressed before legalization measures are put on the ballot.