The momentum behind legalizing the cannabis industry has never been greater.  With 28 states and Washington, DC having legalized cannabis for either medical and/or adult-use, we are finally in a position where market-based facts and governmental and scientific studies are proving the cannabis industry is both responsible and thriving. 

We are relearning that cannabis is a healthy alternative to opioid pain pill prescriptions and the concerns of some are based on mis-information that produced outdated and unjustified policy. In fact, the more people learn about cannabis the more they support the end of its prohibition. 

A Quinnipiac Poll released last week showed a record 93 percent of Americans support medical cannabis and 71 percent support a state's right on legalizing cannabis and oppose a federal crackdown on the industry. 

Yet, the road to further expansion became a little unclear when White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer declared last week that, while the Trump administration supports medical cannabis, it may take a tougher view on a state's choice to allow adult-use. The rationale? Opioid abuse.

The problem of course is, cannabis is not an opioid. Period.

The opioid epidemic that has devastated families and destroyed lives is a direct result of the over-prescribing of opioid pain pills and heroin.  In 2015, 20,101 overdose deaths were related to prescription pain drugs and 12,990 overdose deaths were related to heroin.  Deaths from cannabis overdose?  Zero.  In fact, there are no recorded overdose deaths associated with cannabis in the United States.

So why are some people still opposed to cannabis? For the most part it's education. As medical professionals and policy makers learn more about it, the more they recognize the truth: Cannabis is not a gateway to opioid abuse, it is an exit-ramp.

In New Jersey, many doctors are changing the way they prescribe medication and many are recommending medical cannabis as a non-addictive alternative.  The real challenge we have in New Jersey is access to medical cannabis.

Legal cannabis is only available for sale at 5 medical cannabis dispensaries in New Jersey. In a densely populated state with 8.9 million people, that means there is only one dispensary for every 1,780,000 people.  Arizona, a typically conservative state when it comes to social change, has one dispensary for every 51,000 residents.  A ridiculously unbalanced approach to access to doctor recommended medication.

To put that into perspective, the same weakened patient that has to endure a 3-hour round-trip to get their medical cannabis has 4-5 pharmacy options ready to sell opioids within a 10-minute drive. Seem right?

We can do better. The five dispensaries currently operating in New Jersey are managed and operated by professionals that serve thousands of patients throughout the State.  They have already proven a safe a regulated industry can exist and serve the community.

One of the biggest concerns regarding the expansion of the legal cannabis industry is how it will impact children.  Will teens use cannabis more often as a result of a legal cannabis market? Fortunately, the answer is "no."

A recent study out of Colorado demonstrates that teen-use has actually seen a reduction and is below the national average. 

A regulated industry dries up the black market. Drug dealers don't card but dispensary operators do. Another positive result, states that have legalized medical cannabis have also seen a reduction in prescription drug overdoes.

An additional strong argument for a legal and smartly regulated cannabis market is the jobs and revenue it creates.  In 2016, Colorado cannabis businesses generated $1.3 billion in revenue and collected $200 million in taxes.  This includes the nearly 30,000 jobs that are directly tied to the industry. 

Considering that New Jersey has 3.5 million more people than Colorado, one can quickly conclude that we can easily adopt the lessons learned from Colorado's legalization process while creating significant economic benefit which our state so desperately needs.

While no one in New Jersey expects the Christie administration to change its position on cannabis, we wish it would. Nevertheless, patient and industry advocates are looking beyond the next 10 months into 2018. 

There will be a new governor and hopefully a more compassionate and forward looking position regarding cannabis.