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(Trenton, New Jersey) — On Wednesday, New Jersey’s longest-serving Black legislator and friend of SAM, Senator Ronald Rice, passed at the age of 77. Senator Rice was a tireless ally for science-based marijuana policy and pushed back on popular claims that marijuana commercialization would ultimately lead to social justice for Black Americans.
Rice once said, “When I hear my colleagues pushing for legalization 'in the name of social justice,' I can't apologize for my instinct to suspect that it's really about helping political friends profit from an industry that should not be allowed a foothold in our state."
Dr. Kevin Sabet, President and Co-Founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration issued the following statement in response:
“Senator Rice was a good friend to all of us at SAM and an example of honor and principle. Working with him for several years to stop and delay legalization in New Jersey was one of the highlights of my career. Senator Rice always put the interests of people over profit, and his integrity was beyond reproach. This is a sad day for all Americans and we will deeply miss him. We will continue to work in his honor as we fight for-profit interests from taking over our neighborhoods and communities.”
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