Keep Our Children Safe
Cannabis, marijuana, weed... whatever you want to call it, it's not "a safe drug" -- there's no such thing, and it's especially
dangerous for children and young adults.
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Some of our biggest concerns when it comes to our kids:
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1) Cannabis dispensaries normalize cannabis use. They put a stamp of approval on marijuana and send the wrong message to the children in our town.
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2) Marijuana IS an addictive and destructive drug. Countless studies have demonstrated a high propensity for addiction, daily use, and negative health and social consequences, especially for children and teens.
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3) THC concentration in cannabis products sold at dispensaries is as high as 99%. ​Pot today is on average twice as potent as it was just 10 - 15 years age, resulting in higher rates of addiction and hospitalization.
4) Pot shops sell products that are purpose-made to be attractive to children. ​Edibles are sold in the form of gummies and brownies, and the most popular form of teen consumption is vaping.
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5) Dispensaries = easier access. ​Kids will always find ways to get their hands on things they shouldn't have access to, but dispensaries are proven to make it easier: in cities and towns that have opened recreational cannabis dispensaries, they are the primary source of teenage consumption.
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Data Sources / For More Information:
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Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects/addiction.html
https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects/teens.html
National Institutes for Heath (NIH)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7770012/
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Office of the Surgeon General of the United States
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Additional Reading
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/25/health/marijuana-teen-vaping-wellness/index.html
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/is-marijuana-as-safe-as-we-think
Protect Our Town
Camden is known throughout the world as "The Jewel of Midcoast Maine," and as a special place "where the mountains meet the sea." Residents and visitors alike come and stay to enjoy four-season outdoor recreation while soaking in all that our uniquely charming and historic small town has to offer.
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Are cannabis dispensaries worth the risk to our town's reputation, culture, and quality of life?
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1) Camden is consistently ranked as one of the best towns in Maine and the country. We are an international destination consistently ranked in the "top 10" lists of leading travel publications. Our real estate is the 13th most valuable in the state of Maine and has grown by nearly 90% over the past 5 years (the largest increase of any of Maine's top 30 most valuable towns).
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2) Chain stores don't belong in Camden and neither to cannabis shops. Camden is known for its one-of-a-kind boutiques, restaurants, and quaint family owned inns and BnBs. We don't have Dunkin' and we certainly don't need weed shops.
3) Dispensaries are a threat to public safety. Camden is currently one of the safest towns in Maine and the entire country. Crime is virtually non-existent. Residents don't worry about locking their homes, their cars, or walking the streets.
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4) There is no way to prevent open air pot smoking. From Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine, every town that has opened recreational marijuana shops has experienced this.
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5) We don't have spaces in Camden that are off-limits to children. We don't have strip clubs, tattoo parlors, gambling halls, gun shops or nightclubs. Cannabis dispensaries would become the only "adults only" spaces in Camden.
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Simply put, the Camden we know and love today is beautiful, safe, and one-of-a-kind. Are cannabis dispensaries worth risking our way of life in this amazing town?
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CANNABIS DISPENSARIES IN CAMDEN?
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Myth-Busting
There has been a lot of disinformation spread by the folks who are trying to bring cannabis dispensaries to Camden. Make no mistake about it - the only residents who benefit from opening dispensaries in our town are dispensary owners.
No Tax Revenue
Maine's marijuana laws send all excise and sales taxes on marijuana to Augusta. Towns get reimbursed a maximum of $20K annually for expenses incurred licensing and monitoring pot shops. Not a cent goes to our schools or even our roads. Our town would gain one thing and one thing only: cannabis shops that line the pockets of their owners at the expense of our children and way of life.
"Mom & Pop" Pot Shops?
The people who are leading the charge to bring cannabis to Camden pretend to be a small, locally-owned business. There are, in fact, FIFTEEN investors in "Botany" hailing from Denver, Atlanta, New York, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. Many are wealthy private equity or other professional investors. This is big business motivated purely by money.
"Camden Wants This"
Camden voted by a margin of less than 10% to legalize marijuana in 2016. That's hardly "solidly in favor" as the dispensary owners claim. Besides, legalizing marijuana and opening pot shops are completely different things. These guys will say anything though. They have gone as far as to compare "locally grown" marijuana products with local arts and crafts. Seriously.