New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is a Reefer Madness radical out of the mainstream. He has demonstrated a lack of respect for the citizens of New Jersey, especially those suffering from debilitating medical conditions, in how he has mishandled the state’s medical marijuana program. Now, with his sights possibly set on a 2016 presidential bid, he has cast himself into the minority position of using federal resources to shut down state’s marijuana programs.
From Matt Ferner’s post on the Huffington Post, “Chris Christie: ‘I Will Crack Down And Not Permit’ Legal Marijuana As President“:
Opposition to marijuana reforms is nothing new from Christie. As governor of New Jersey, he has been a vocal critic, calling medical marijuana programs that 23 states have already enacted a “front” for full recreational legalization. On the prospects for legalizing recreational marijuana in his own state, Christie has said, “Not on my watch.” Last year, when asked how a President Christie would treat states that have legalized marijuana, he said, “Probably not well.”
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Tom Angell, chairman of the marijuana policy reform group Marijuana Majority, said that Christie’s comments put him out of step with most Americans and with most members of his own party.
“This is not only bad policy but is incredibly bad politics,” Angell said. “If Christie wants to block sensible marijuana reforms in his own state of New Jersey, that’s one thing. But it’s especially unacceptable — and not very conservative, I’d add — for him to say he’d use federal resources to overturn the will of voters in a growing number of other states that are moving beyond prohibition. Maybe he forgot that Colorado is an important swing state in presidential elections.”
This is a very strange position for any serious presidential candidate to take, so maybe this shows that Christie isn’t a serious candidate, or maybe it shows that he plans to occupy the “law and order” position on the opposite side of Rand Paul (who acknowledges the failure of the federal Drug War) and to the right of the middle ground taken by Jeb Bush (who states that he would let the states decide for themselves). While a majority of Republicans oppose marijuana legalization, a majority don’t want to waste federal resources trampling the will of the voters in states that choose a progressive marijuana policy. Hopefully, this position disqualifies Governor Christie from the highest office in the land and it certainly makes him the candidate that the cannabis community should vehemently work against if he throws his hat in the 2016 ring.
Anthony Johnson
Anthony, a longtime cannabis law reform advocate, was Chief Petitioner and co-author of Measure 91, Oregon's cannabis legalization effort. He served as director of both the New Approach Oregon and Vote Yes on 91 PACs, the political action committees responsible for the state's legalization campaign. As director of New Approach Oregon, Anthony continues to work towards effectively implementing the cannabis legalization system while protecting small business owners and the rights of patients. He sits on the Oregon Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee and fights for sensible rules at the legislature as well as city councils and county commissions across the state. Anthony helps cannabis business comply with Oregon's laws and advises advocates across the country. He also serves as content director of both the International Cannabis Business Conference and the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, helping share the vision of moving the cannabis industry forward in a way that maintains the focus on keeping people out of prison and protecting patients. He was a member of the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee, assisting the drafting of the administrative rules governing Oregon’s state-licensed medical marijuana facilities. He first co-authored and helped pass successful marijuana law reform measures while a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and practiced criminal defense for two years before transitioning to working full-time in the political advocacy realm. His blogs on Marijuana Politics are personal in nature and don't speak for or reflect the opinions of any group or organization.
