An influential New Jersey lawmaker said this week he’s concerned that legalizing marijuana would result in stores selling intoxicating lipsticks, candies, and cupcakes — as well as “sex toy oils with marijuana.”
State Sen. Ron Rice, a Democrat, made the remark in a videotaped interview with NJTV. He told the Washington Examiner in an email he is concerned about “marijuana infused oils, not toys.”
Rice is chairman of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, a group described by NJTV as the “chief obstacle in Trenton to marijuana legalization.”
The group’s opposition has helped frustrate an effort to legalize recreational marijuana within 100 days of Gov. Phil Murphy taking office in January. Murphy is also a Democrat.
[Also read: Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan backs legalizing marijuana]
So far, only Vermont has legalized marijuana through legislation to allow home cultivation, but not a regulated market. Pending legislation in New Jersey would do the opposite, allowing a regulated market but not home cultivation.
Rice’s worry about infused products was met with social media jeers from pot enthusiasts. As originally transcribed by NJTV, he was quoted as saying “sex toys and oils” — though the video indicates he said “sex toy oils.”
Rice told the TV station: “If in fact we legalize recreational marijuana, right across the street from my office they’re going to put up stores. They want to call them dispensaries. They’re going to be stores that do retail selling of cupcakes with marijuana, candies with marijuana, um, sex toy oils with marijuana, lipsticks with marijuana, all those kinds of products that kids can get and people can get.”
“Oh dear! The horror!” tweeted pro-legalization journalist and activist Tom Angell.
Key anti-legalization New Jersey lawmaker raises fears of “sex toys and oils with marijuana” being sold if prohibition is ended.
Oh dear! The horror!https://t.co/grMrFNeqeG
— Tom Angell ?? (@tomangell) July 18, 2018
Angell, publisher of the news outlet Marijuana Moment, told the Washington Examiner he’s never heard of a business selling marijuana “sex toy oil,” though there is at least one general-purpose sexual lubricant on the market.
“This is yet another example of desperate prohibitionists who recognize that marijuana legalization is inevitable throwing anything at the wall to see what sticks,” he said. “Fortunately, polls pretty clearly demonstrate that voters are tired of these weak ‘Reefer Madness’ arguments and aren’t listening.”
“The senator tried to make a slick argument, but I think it came off a bit too abrasive and rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way,” quipped Mason Tvert, a spokeman for the Marijuana Policy Project.
Rice did not respond to an email asking if he intended to say “sex toy oils” or if he meant to simply say oils. “I don’t think you’re even serious when you ask that question,” one of his staffers told the Washington Examiner.
Rice’s son, Newark City Councilman Ronald Rice Jr., said it’s important to know that his father “was a Newark Police Department detective for over 12 years, working in vice squad and undercover so he has street intelligence regarding drugs.”
“I support some limited form of legalization,” Rice Jr. said. But he also said he shares his father’s “concerns regarding the need for decriminalization, which is a whole separate discussion and increased minority opportunities for ownership and distribution.”
Although it’s a head-scratching remark, legalization opponents feel they may have the last laugh.
“The momentum for legalization of recreational marijuana has stalled considerably in since Gov. Murphy took office,” said Kevin Sabet, who leads the the national anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, pointing to the missed 100-day deadline.
“Now we’re hearing that legislators will consider a bill over the summer, but the fact of the matter is that lawmakers have serious concerns about the negative consequences of legalization — ranging from increased drug driving to greater youth usage to social justice issues,” Sabet said. “Additionally, we’ve seen over 20 municipalities and counting ban marijuana sales from their towns. Despite what the marijuana industry might tell you, this is not a done deal.”
