A Bridgewater councilman is the latest to get hysterical in railing against the possible legalization of recreational marijuana.

Among the many silly things Council Vice President Matthew Moench had to say, according to MyCentralJersey.com, was "Bridgewater should be a leader in protecting the safety of our children and our quality of life."

The fact is that "children" (those under 18 years old and still in school) have a better chance of accessing illegal drugs through the black market than most adults. One of the benefits of legalization is that the black market would eventually dry up and the only place to legally purchase marijuana would be at a secure facility much like alcohol.

For the record, I don't smoke weed or like the effects of any so-called recreational drugs, but I also feel strongly that adults should be able to exercise freedom to choose what they do with their own bodies. The prohibition of alcohol didn't work and resulted in building a robust organized crime empire, much as the 'war on drugs' has done for the past 50-plus years.

Politicians in towns like Bridgewater, Toms River, Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant Beach, Lavallette and counties like Ocean and Monmouth have all adopted resolutions against legalization. Instead of admitting that prohibition hasn't worked and only created more crime and violence the politicians that espouse, these views are either cowardly, stupid, narrow minded and slow or all of the above.

It takes courage to admit a mistake or mistaken policy and reverse course. It takes just a small amount of common sense to see the calamity and futility of the "war on drugs" and pursue a different policy.

One of the other moronic statements from the esteemed councilman from Bridgewater was, "At a time when our communities are in a desperate fight against opioid abuse, we should not be sending the message to kids that smoking marijuana is an acceptable after-school activity."

Hey genius. Alcohol is legal for adults is drinking booze an acceptable after-school activity? Of course not. As stated before eventually the black market and almost unlimited access for young people to weed will dissipate. Also, many feel that if access to legal weed were allowed perhaps some people wouldn't have gone to opiates for either pain relief or escape and the opioid crisis wouldn't have gotten to this point.

I don't know if people like this make these statements because they think they're defending mom and apple pie or they're trying to preserve law enforcement budgets to continue to prosecute people for something that should be more of a public health issue than a legal one. It's hard to tell without knowing some of these people and where they're coming from. But what is sure is that you're gonna be hearing a lot more hysterical partisan grandstanding the closer we get to legalization.

It's been over 80 years since the propaganda film "Reefer Madness" was shown in schools and at least a half of a century that it's been a running joke. Some of our politicians in New Jersey today are giving the movie a run for its money with their ridiculous pronouncements!

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