Medical Cannabis Repeal Sparks Tension At Madison Council Meeting

MADISON, NJ — As the Madison Borough Council reached an agreement to repeal all previous ordinances authorizing medical cannabis facilities in the borough, several speakers took the podium to argue in favor of the facilities.

Monday night's council meeting was well attended by a group of out-of-towners speaking out against the decision to rescind the council's previous allowance of medicinal cannabis.

Jesse Marie Villars, the CEO and founder of Lambertville's Baked by the River Dispensary, was among those in attendance. Villars first addressed the council, asking for a brief moment of silence in memory of her friends who had died as a result of an opioid overdose.

"I have been a medical marijuana patient since 2014 and used cannabis to help overcome a chronic pain disorder and opioid addiction. Cannabis saved my life and I am proud to say I am now coming up on ten years opioid-free," Villars said.

In her comment, Villars argued that by revoking the ordinance, Madison was taking away an alternative medical treatment for residents dealing with chronic pain and other illnesses.

Mary Oakes, an Oceanport resident who came to Madison to tell the story of her husband, a medical cannabis user, echoed that sentiment. Oakes claims that her husband was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2016.

"He was given two months to live. My husband lived four years and ten months because of the use of medical cannabis. It kept him off of every kind of opioid they wanted to shove down him to keep him pain free," Oakes said.

Two more non-Madison residents took the podium, one dressed as a bong, and after refusing to give their name to the council, sang a song about medical cannabis, listing all of the towns in New Jersey that currently allow it.

"I'm not sure if I'm back in the twilight zone, or if there is actually someone in attendance here tonight in a huge purple bong costume with a guitar. While some people here think dressing up, laughing, singing and making a joke of this is appropriate. I find it insulting," resident Caitlin Santora said.

Edward Grimes, a member of Sativacross.org, a nonprofit that advocates for disabled people's rights, also spoke out against Madison's decision. Following his remark, Grimes filmed all speakers who rose to speak, much to the chagrin of the audience.

"I'm alarmed that people that don't even live here can come in here and not even speak and just be rude to everybody who has already expressed their desire to not have this in town and I say this is just the example of the kind of rudeness that's going to continue," resident John Dew said.

One Madison resident spoke out in favor of allowing medical cannabis access among the group of non-locals. Devin Carwithen addressed the council and the general public, claiming that the negative attitudes toward medical cannabis stem solely from fear and a lack of understanding.

Following all public comments, the council unanimously went through with approving all three ordinances, effectively repealing the council's previous allowance of medicinal cannabis.