Speaking at the February meeting of the Sussex County Republican Women’s Club, McLaughlin urges legislators, Governor to reject efforts to legalize marijuana
Georgetown, Del., March 1—With record amounts of ever-more-potent drugs making their way across the U.S. southern border, access to dangerous substances has never been easier in Delaware, noted Chief McLaughlin in his presentation last Wednesday to Sussex County Republican women. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable victims of these drugs, he said, are Delaware’s children.
“The new wave in marijuana consumption,” McLaughlin noted, “comes in the form of edibles—cookies, candies, and gummies—as well as vape-ready products.”
Many are not aware that ’vapable’ marijuana is often sold in kid-friendly flavors, like bubblegum and cherry, and because this new vape version of marijuana is often odorless, kids can vape in their bedrooms at home without parents knowing.
The bill to legalize marijuana, House Bill 305, was released from committee Feb. 17, thus clearing its path for an up or down vote by the full House when the session reconvenes on March 8. After the House vote, the bill will then proceed to the Senate.
McLaughlin has seen firsthand, from his 31 years of working in Delaware law enforcement, how marijuana has become the prime gateway drug to more dangerous substances. He also pointed out that a lot of the marijuana that is being sold today, as opposed to that of earlier decades, is synthetic, carcinogenic, and often laced with fentanyl.
Legalizing marijuana, said McLaughlin, sends a message to children that marijuana is a safe drug, “when it is not.”
Marilyn Booker, President of the Sussex County Women’s Republican Club, found Chief McLaughlin’s message compelling. “Chief McLaughlin’s presentation today gave our members a firsthand view of the real horrors associated with the drug crisis in Sussex County,” she said. “His description of the increased potency of today’s marijuana versus what people used to consume in the last century made all of us wonder why our General Assembly is considering legalizing it for recreational use. We certainly hope Governor Carney vetoes this bill if it arrives on his desk.”
Chief Kenneth McLaughlin completed recruit training at the Delaware State Police Academy in 1990 and was appointed Chief of Police for the Town of Ocean View in May of 2001. He holds numerous law enforcement instructor certifications and regularly teaches at the local, state, and national level. He has been instrumental in establishing state-wide guidelines and training in the areas of police response to medical and mental health emergencies.
About the Sussex County Republican Women’s Club
It is the mission of the Sussex County Republican Women’s Club to assist in the election of Republican candidates, act as an advocate for the Republican Party’s principles, and empower women to participate in the political process. SCRWC, the largest Republican Women’s Club in Delaware, has been actively engaging women in the political process for more than seven decades.
“If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live the under rule of fools.” —Plato
Media Contact:
Marilyn Booker, President, Sussex County Republican Women’s Club, scrwcdelaware@gmail.com