East Central Reporter

Tim Nuss isn’t willing to put quantity over quality in the marijuana legalization debate sweeping through Ford County.

“I support medicinal, but not recreational,” Nuss, vice chairman of the Ford County Republican Party, told the East Central Reporter. “They’re drastically different. Medicinal is to help and heal people, recreational is mind-altering and we don’t need any more of that.”

Nuss’ diatribe was in direct response to Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) recently proposing the legalization of recreational marijuana as a way of raising money for the cash-strapped state.

State Senator Jason Barickman, (R-Champaign) | http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=2018

“I don’t want anything to do with it and will do all I can to talk to people who feel the same way,” Nuss said of Barickman’s stance. “It’s a tax-and-spend technique. It’s not to help any of the people.”

Beyond blasting marijuana as a gateway drug to more illicit substances, Nuss said he worries that legalizing recreational marijuana will make it too easy for it to fall into the hands of even more young people.

“That’s why they make it look like candy,” he said. "It’s all to attract younger people.”

Nuss said he plans to take his fight to the ballot box, encouraging as many people as he can to take a stance and vote down such proposals.

“A lot of people won’t say anything against it because of the visceral reaction they get from people that are for it,” he said. “I think there’s a silent majority. I don’t think a lot of people are for it. What are we going to legalize next? I want it to be discussed in all the races.”

Barickman has previously come under fire for being the lone GOP state senator to vote in favor of gay marriage. He defended his position by arguing specific language in the bill was designed to preserve religious liberties.