As politicians discuss how to best legalize marijuana in New Jersey this week, the family of Peter Tosh announced his son Jawara McIntosh was left in a coma following an attack in a New Jersey jail – and the family wants answers.
Sentenced to six months incarceration over 65.5 pounds of marijuana, the son of the late reggae star and marijuana activist, Peter Tosh, was hospitalized after suffering traumatic brain injuries received in a February incident in the Bergen County Jail, according to New Jersey online.
“In 2013, Jawara McIntosh, now 37, was arrested after police found more than 65 pounds of marijuana hidden in the trunk of a rented car he was driving.”
Macintosh (a.k.a. Tosh1), like his father, has worked tirelessly to “Legalize It” in the Garden State.
While state officials began debating the pros and cons of legalizing the billion-dollar cannabis industry, Macintosh lays unresponsive and in a coma at a local hospital, suffering from traumatic brain damage. Macintosh’s attorney, Jasmine Rand, announced yesterday the family wants the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate his brutal beating, and that the family has filed a notice that it plans to sue the county.
Fatal policy
Under Chris Christie’s administration, over 23,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession in New Jersey between 2010- 2013. Per the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws, those caught selling less than an ounce of pot in New Jersey face a penalty of up to 1.5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $25,000.
Suffering historically low approval ratings of only 15%, Gov. Christie won’t be back after 2018. And, at least two of his potential replacements have vowed to reform the state’s marijuana laws.
New hope
Opposed by the usual suspects – addiction treatment facilities, big pharma, big tobacco, and big alcohol – New Jersey lawmakers on Monday began planting the seeds of cannabis legalization. In preparation for that greener future, New Jersey Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D) told online sources, “We will have a new governor next year and we should be prepared to move forward with a program that ends the prohibition on marijuana and that treats our residents fairly and humanely.”
Too late for the son of Peter Tosh, legalizing marijuana could theoretically help protect millions of America’s greatest assets – our kids – from the same ugly and senseless fate.
