“No” to Selling Recreational Marijuana
Opt Out Naperville, a newly formed resident group, hosted a rally with around 300 people at Central Park to urge City Council to vote “no” to selling recreational marijuana.
“If they are not willing to opt out permanently, then let’s opt out and then send a referendum vote to the people and let the people decide what they want here,” said Jennifer Bruzan Taylor, organizer of the rally. “We have nine people on the dais at city council. This decision will shape the entire community, the future of it.”
Council Members
And it’s the future generation that some council members are concerned about.
“We want to send a message to our young people. Our young people need our leadership. We had two young men from the high school level come and speak in front of the city council and they’re speech was all about opting out. And we as City Council need to be leaders and I think we should be,” said Councilwoman Patty Gustin.
The Speakers
Two high school students joined the multiple speakers who were there including a doctor, community youth pastor, and a recovered marijuana user.
“I came from a really solid family, I came from good morals, good convictions. And I spent the next almost 18 years of my life chasing recovery because of the very first time I smoked marijuana,” said speaker Nick Gore.
“Yes” to Selling Recreational Marijuana
While most who were there are against selling it, one community member showed up to voice why he thinks marijuana should be easily accessible.
“I suffer from chronic anxiety myself and marijuana has helped me over the years to manage that. I think in a free society, people should be allowed to use whatever they want to use as long as they’re not harming anybody else,” said Dan Allen.
Opt Out
But in the local society, others do not want this to happen.
“I don’t think people want to come to the Thursday night band show concerts in the summer with the smell of marijuana in the air. I don’t think we want to go to the parks and bring our children with the smell of marijuana in the air,” said attendee Joan Dupre.
Opt Out Naperville plans to attend Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
