NJ marijuana legalization: Monmouth freeholder compares it to car thefts, murders

FREEHOLD - Monmouth County officials continued their opposition to legalizing weed with one freeholder saying he's "not sold" on medicinal marijuana and another saying it could lead down a slippery slope to lawlessness.

Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders again Thursday discussed their displeasure with legalizing recreational marijuana after passing a resolution formally opposing the effort two weeks ago. The resolution does not have any effect on the law, but expresses the opinion of the board.

Freeholder Lillian Burry said she took offense to the argument that legalizing weed is a way of righting a social justice wrong. Advocates of legalization say black marijuana users are three times more likely to get arrested than white marijuana users.

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"What bothers me is we tend to overlook the reasons why this has been put forth in front of us. That is it's stated it's a way of righting a social injustice," she said.

"I find that very offensive. I really do. Because if you’re going to use that as a barometer, we’re going to start legalizing car thefts, murders, what have you."

Watch the video at the top of the story to see what an Ocean County freeholder says about legal weed.

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Monmouth County's opposition comes as efforts to legalize recreational marijuana are ramping up. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has said he supports legalization.

Monmouth County freeholders accuse state lawmakers of pursuing legal weed just for the tax revenue.

"It’s for revenue. You put a human life on the same line equated to revenue? I find that very offensive," Burry said.

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone said there are too many unanswered questions for him to support legalizing recreational marijuana. Chief among them is the fact there's no reliable test to determine if a person is under the influence of marijuana while driving.

"They’re unclear on everything. They have no answers," Arnone said of state lawmakers.

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Arnone said he sees medicinal marijuana as a "different issue" than recreational use.

But Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger said he's "not sold" on medicinal marijuana.

"In California, it’s an end run to recreational. You don’t want to open a Pandora's box that you can’t close again."

Susanne Cervenka: @scervenka; 732-643-4229; scervenka@gannettnj.com