Today is 4/20, but there's no Reefer Madness in Easton, officials say

EASTON, Pa. — If you’re looking to get some marijuana in the Easton area to celebrate 4/20, your best bet is to swing by Beyond Hello, a dispensary situated on Nazareth Road in Lower Nazareth Township.

That's provided you have a Pennsylvania medical marijuana card, of course.

April 20 is popularly known as the day to celebrate cannabis — a reference to "420" being popular slang for cannabis consumption.

• While medical marijuana is available in Pennsylvania, the state has yet to make recreational weed legal
• Despite how easy it is to get recreational products from Phillipsburg, New Jersey, authorities have reported no problems related to marijuana in Easton
• Proponents of legalization say there are few, if any, problems with marijuana, and it could actually help local economies

But for those seeking out a chance to recreationally imbibe the herb, the commonwealth has yet to push legalization or decriminalization through the legislature.
However, a quick trip over the free bridge lands you in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and right there on Main Street sits The Apothecarium, where anyone 21 or older can pick up an ounce of cannabis at a time before crossing back over to the Keystone State.

Fear mongering might lead one to believe such a setup would lead to a crime spike in marijuana possession charges and other issues over in Easton, or elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley.

But according to Easton Mayor Sal Panto, that just isn’t true – in fact, it’s quite the opposite situation.

“Our crime rate is down every year, so we have not seen anything like that — we have no negative impacts,” Panto said.

“We’re very fortunate. We’re much safer and much cleaner than we used to be, so we’re fortunate. That has not impacted the city at all.”

'It isn't the same sensation'

Jeff Riedy, executive director of the Lehigh Valley branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, agreed with Panto.

Riedy noted that crime tends to skew in the opposite direction when marijuana is legalized.

“I have not heard of any reports of crime rates going up at all,” Riedy said. “Actually use among youth has gone down in states where it's become legal, because… it isn’t that same sensation of doing something illegal anymore, or defying your parents in a certain way or something like that.”

It’s been just over a year since recreational marijuana was legalized in New Jersey — on April 21, of all days — but Panto said there have been no serious issues in Easton, essentially confirming the fear of “Reefer Madness” isn’t warranted.

Jenna Wechsler, general manager of the medical marijuana dispensary Beyond Hello, said she believes most people in the Easton area who are interested in marijuana are more likely to invest in a medical card in the state as opposed to paying higher prices across the bridge.

“I feel like we've seen an influx of people with new medical cards," Wechsler said "So I still feel that it's very valid to get your medical card here in Pennsylvania — we do offer discounts and things along those lines.

“And from what I've understood, it is cheaper to purchase as a medical patient in Pennsylvania than to go stand in line for three hours at The Apothecarium.

"But obviously, everyone has their own opinion when it comes to that. And I haven't been there personally, but staff and other patients as well have gone and it's been a mixed bag. They enjoy not having to present a card, but at the same time we sell the medicine cheaper.”

'No effect on violent crime'

While no one is advocating for residents to cross into another state to buy marijuana and bring it back to Pennsylvania, the ease of access does at least create a potential pipeline for those who aren’t interested in getting a medical card.

Proponents of criminalization may find that fact concerning, but experts disagree that legalized marijuana leads to more crime.

A report entitled “Clogging the Courts: Effects of Marijuana Criminalization on our Local Court Systems,” released by the Lehigh Valley Justice Institute in October 2022, specifically notes, “Studies on legalized states indicate legalization had no effect on violent crime, traffic fatalities, economic conditions or usage among adults and youth.

“Instead, marijuana criminalization devastates countless individuals and disenfranchised communities,” the report states in its conclusion.

“It widens racial injustices, ensnares young people in the criminal justice system, and damages communities by limiting or eradicating employment, housing, and economic opportunities for their residents. It costs our courts millions by introducing lengthy cases for public defenders to represent nonviolent offenders and crowding them in jails.”

Dispel the myths

The fact is, by and large, marijuana has become far more socially acceptable in Easton, the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania and beyond.

In that regard, experts are pushing to dispel the myths of old in order to clear a way to further decriminalization and legalization efforts.

“I believe that cannabis should be legal nationwide and adults should have the choice of deciding what they want to do with their bodies and what they want to consume,” NORML's Riedy said.

“They shouldn't be violated or scrutinized any more than people that that are consuming alcohol, which is available everywhere you go to eat, every corner drugstore, almost every gas station, now even at the grocery store, you can buy alcohol, so it's everywhere.

"And it's been proven that cannabis is a lot safer.”

'Beneficial for all people'

Panto concedes that law enforcement needs a reliable method to determine inebriation from marijuana if and when legalization occurs — especially when it comes to operating vehicles.

But he doesn’t appear to be concerned about the myths and propaganda of yesteryear that claimed the drug would cause cataclysmic damage to individuals and society.

“I don’t have any problem; I have very little concern for recreational marijuana," Panto said. "I don’t believe that it should go on a person’s record, where it hurts them from getting student loans or grants or scholarships.

“I’m concerned about young people having small amounts of marijuana getting arrested and having it on their criminal record.”

Grounding the conversation around marijuana in logic and reason could very well lead to further discussions on how recreational sales in Easton could benefit the community.

And while the state legislature is taking its time on the issue, the writing is on the wall: people want their weed.

“I think it would grow our market exponentially," Beyond Hello's Wechsler said. "I feel that marijuana is beneficial for all people, especially in the medical regard, but having that recreational will really set us apart.

“I feel that there's still a stigma around marijuana and we'd like to break through that at Beyond Hello Easton and help people on their way to better health with marijuana.”