In episode 7 of “A More Perfect Collingswood,” Kate and Wes discuss a pressing issue facing NJ municipalities: legislating legal cannabis. Municipalities have until the middle of August to make a decision about cannabis retail in their town limits. There are challenges as well as opportunities to be weighed and community members should have a voice.
Can small towns enact open minded and innovative policies around legal weed? This doesn’t seem to be the case in Collingswood where cannabis is being shunted to the edge of town to the Collingswood- Camden border. Opportunities to chip away at the racist and classist underpinnings of the War on Drugs and make cannabis more mainstream seem to be off the table. Public engagement on the topic, which seems to be happening in other towns, is too little, too late in Collingswood. Since the first reading of the ordinance has already been voted on, the town forum will just be a reporting out of a community decision made without the community.
Wes and Kate also talk about public projects. All these change orders for the new police building are slowly and incrementally jacking the price up. Did the commissioners contract with firms who wrongly estimated the cost or was the cost of the project inaccurately presented to the public? The old police building is being demolished for more parking. Is this the best use of that space? How about some cannabis retail? Or green space?
Also of note: NJ municipalities will soon be receiving grant funding for police body cameras. What issues should citizens keep in mind? Wes shares info and his analysis as a member of the local police advisory board.
And renewable energy in town! And neighborly moments! And local good eats!
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