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Debate Over Legalization of Marijuana to be Explored in Constitution Day Program on September 17

Diana Litterer, CEO and executive director of the New Jersey Prevention Network, and Udi Ofer, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey, to present opposing viewpoints

The myriad of political, policy and other interests surrounding the current debate over the legalization of marijuana will be the subject of a program in observance of the tenth annual Constitution Day on Wednesday, September 17 at William Paterson University in Wayne.

Diana Litterer, CEO and executive director of the New Jersey Prevention Network, and Udi Ofer, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey, will present opposing viewpoints during the program, titled “The Great Grass Debate:  Prohibition vs. Legalization,” to be held from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in University Commons Ballroom C on campus. 

Federal legislation signed in December 2004 requires all educational institutions that receive federal funds to implement an educational program on September 17 each year that provides students with increased awareness and appreciation of the U.S. Constitution and to help develop the habits of citizenship.

The program is sponsored by the American Democracy Project (ADP) at William Paterson University, part of a nationwide initiative coordinated by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) that seeks to increase civic engagement levels of U.S. students attending public colleges and universities in the 21st century.

“Marijuana policy is being debated coast to coast in state legislatures and on campaign trails,” says Christine Kelly, professor of political science and director of the American Democracy Project.  “This event seeks to provide responsible, fair, and balanced citizen education about the interests who are supporting and opposing this legislative reform movement.”

Litterer will focus on the negative public health and brain health impact, identifying the risks associated with highly potent strains of marijuana now commonly produced by large-scale growers using sophisticated technology. Ofer will focus on the public and individual cost of criminalizing marijuana with attention to incarceration rates and patterns of uneven due process as evident in arrest, prosecution and sentencing disparities by race and income bracket in both New Jersey and across the country. 

Litterer has been in the field of public health for more than 20 years and has developed state-of-the-art prevention programs that have received federal, state, county and local funding. She manages several statewide initiatives including the Training and Technical Assistance program for 17 regional coalitions throughout New Jersey. Recognized as a state leader in public health, she sits on several state work groups including the State Epidemiology Outcome Workgroup and the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services Professional Advisory Committee, among others. ;

Ofer joined the ACLU of New Jersey as executive director in February 2013; under his leadership, the organization has advocated for same-sex marriage and passage of the New Jersey Dream Act. Previously, he founded the Advocacy Department of the New York Civil Liberties Union and helped transform the organization’s work. He is best known for his work challenging the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk abuses, spearheading the effort to pass legislation banning racial profiling by the NYPD and creating an NYPD Inspector General’s office. His articles have appeared in the Columbia Law School Journal of Race and Law, Fordham Law School Urban Law Journal, and New York Law School Law Review. He is a frequent commentator on civil liberties and civil rights issues in local and national media.

For additional information, contact the American Democracy Project at William Paterson University at 973-720-3921.