Cannabis Task Force

Mission Statement

The Cannabis Task Force (CTF) serves in an advisory capacity to provide input to Mayor and Council on the major areas of concern regarding legal cannabis. Issues to be considered include cannabis operations in the municipality, education and enforcement; the CTF’s discussions and recommendations will keep social and racial justice in the forefront. The CTF will evaluate whether Princeton should allow and zone for any one of the six cannabis industry licenses (cultivation, manufacturing, wholesaling, distribution, retail, and delivery) established by the state.  Should the CTF recommend opting into one or more aspects of the cannabis industry, it will also make recommendations about how tax revenue and other potential benefits from cannabis licensing should be allocated. The CTF will, using the best data available and up-to-date science on the impact of cannabis use, develop the most accurate and effective educational message for minors, adults and senior citizens for this now legal product.  Finally, the CTF will investigate how Princeton can best affirm its commitment to social and restorative justice in terms of how cannabis policing and enforcement is done.  Meetings of the CTF will be open to the public unless an executive session is required.  The CTF will also hold at least one meeting specifically to solicit input from the public.


Subcommittees

The Cannabis Task Force has two subcommittees: 

  1. Economic & Community Impact: This subcommittee will focus on making a recommendation to Mayor and Council about whether to say yes or no to any element of the cannabis industry, where to zone for such an operation if yes, and what to do with the tax revenue that cannabis operations might generate.
  2. Education, Outreach & Enforcement: This subcommittee will focus on crafting educational messages for different populations and getting those messages out into the community; this subcommittee will also focus on how to encourage prosecutorial and police enforcement around cannabis that reflects our community values.

Members

  • Bernadette Alexander, Citizen Rep., Nurse
  • Kristin Appelget, Princeton University, Director Community and Regional Affairs
  • David Errickson, Executive Director, Corner House
  • Colleen Exter, Citizen Rep. 
  • Leticia Fraga, Princeton Council President
  • Kimberly Levitt, Physician at Capital Health, Witherspoon St.
  • Sharon Hurley, Princeton Senior Resource Center, Director of Social Services
  • Mikaylah Ladue, Students for Sensible Drug Policies
  • Ron Menapace, Business Rep. Homestead Princeton
  • David Nathan, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation
  • Eve Niedergang, Task Force Chair, Princeton Council Member
  • Courtney Navas, Princeton Police
  • Hugh O'Beirne, Citizen Rep., Cannabis Advisory Group Co-Founder
  • Judson Odell, Citizen Rep. 
  • Udi Ofer, Citizen Rep., ACLU civil rights attorney
  • Michelle Pirone Lambros, Princeton Council Member
  • Tommy Parker, Civil Rights Commission
  • Dean Smith, Business Rep., Jazams
  • George Diferdinando, Chair of the Board of Health
  • Valeria Torres-Olivares, Not in Our Town
  • Milan Vaclavik, Citizen Representative