N.J. State Senator Says 'Stoned Driving' Will Result From Weed Legalization
*By Amanda Weston*
New Jersey may be the next state to legalize recreational marijuana, but not if state Sen. Gerald Cardinale can help it.
"Legalization promotes additional use," Republican State Sen. Gerald Cardinale told Cheddar Tuesday.
"There is a certain stigma today with respect to marijuana usage that keeps some people from using it. Once you remove that stigma, everyone has a pretty good idea that you know, 'Hey, the government says it's okay. I don't feel bad about using it. Why not? Joe uses it and Millie uses it over there. Why not?'"
"And so you get an increased number of people who are stoned driving. I for one think we have enough traffic accidents already in New Jersey. So I think we should just for that reason alone take a real hard look before we act," added the state senator, who represents the 39th District, which includes parts of Bergen and Passaic Counties.
A joint panel of New Jersey Senate and Assembly lawmakers approved a [bill to legalize recreational pot in the state on Monday](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/27/nj-legal-weed-bill-whats-next-after-marijuana-legalization-votes/2124016002/). The committee also addressed expanding New Jersey's medical marijuana program and expunging drug-related crimes.
About 200 people were inside the hearing room, [NJ.com reported](https://www.nj.com/marijuana/2018/11/legal_weed_bill_gets_one_step_closer_to_reality_in.html); debate lasted nearly four hours.
"A lot of people look at this as a way to make more money for NJ," Cardinale [tweeted Monday](https://twitter.com/gerrycardinale/status/1067119027946954752). "I don't see dollar signs. I see heartache & trouble."
He [wrote in a letter Nov. 23](https://www.senatenj.com/index.php/cardinale/memo-on-legalizing-marijuana-cardinale-addresses-officials-staff-nj-press-in-advance-of-committee-vote/41456#more-41456) that marijuana is addictive and legalization corresponds to a rise in deadly car crashes.
Cardinale acknowledged that more African-Americans are sent to jail for marijuana-related offenses than members of other races. He said one way to address the problem is to decriminalize possession of small quantities.
"It would not create additional hordes of marketers who are going to be getting at the non-users and trying to convert them to users," he said.
Those messages are going to eventually come to younger people whose brains are forming and where it is really very, very bad for them to use marijuana. When you get 12-year-olds, as we are seeing in Colorado, using marijuana, they're stunting the development of their brain. Marijuana kills brain cells. That's an established medical fact."
The bill now needs to pass a full vote in the state legislature before heading to the governor's desk.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
With a merger this big, creators, studios, and theaters all face uncertain futures. Here’s what experts are worried about and what good could come from it.
With disengagement rising and hybrid work shifting, 'Everybody Matters' author Bob Chapman explains why treating people well could define the future of work.
We sat down with Ali Furman, U.S. Consumer Markets Industry Leader at consulting firm PwC to ask what trends she garnered from the initial data this year.
