Rutgers Medical Experts Available to Discuss New Laws that Permit Use of Recreational Marijuana in New Jersey

Lewis Nelson, chair of the department of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and Diane Calello, executive medical director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center, based at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, is available to discuss the health considerations of the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey.

“While there are personal and social justice benefits to the legalization of cannabis use, there are adverse consequences that cannot be ignored,” said Nelson. “How the balance of risk and benefit fall for an individual or for society are difficult to predict, but we need to be deliberate and attentive in how we roll out this process.”

“We will now face the challenge of creating the future for cannabis in New Jersey,” Calello says. “From a public health standpoint, safety must be the highest priority for this to succeed. Responsible packaging, commerce and surveillance can prevent unintended consequences. A detail-oriented approach is essential – let’s get it right the first time around.”