Chris Christie Tells Local Dad Medical Marijuana More "Complicated" Than Just Letting His Daughter Live

Which way's the wind blow?

CBS

So New Jersey legalized medicinal marijuana in 2009, but implementation's been slow and stupid. It took three years, for example, for the first dispensary to open. Unsurprisingly, it's still easier to buy street drugs in New Jersey than legal marijuana, even for medical marijuana patients. This June, the state legislature passed a new law that would make it easier for sick children to access medical marijuana. It's August, and New Jersey's paternalistic governor, Chris Christie, is still mulling it over. Confronted by the parent of a child waiting for easier access to medical marijuana, Christie explained it wasn't as simple as just signing the law. From CBS New York:

"Please don't let my daughter die, Governor. Don't let my daughter die," Brian Wilson implored Gov. Christie on Wednesday…

 "I was wondering what the holdup is. It's been like two months now," Wilson pressed the governor.

"These are complicated issues," Gov. Christie responded to Wilson.

"Very simple issue," the father shot back.

"No, I know you think it's simple…I know you think it's simple and it's not," Christie said.

At the end of their exchange, Christie told Wilson he'd decide in the coming days whether to sign the bill.

"I'll have a decision by Friday. I wish for the best for you, your daughter and your family and I'm going to do what I think is best for the people of the state," Christie told Wilson.

At least he didn't call it his state this time. In the three-plus years of "officially" legal medical marijuana, street prices and qualities have not substantively changed. There's been no sudden uptick in crime. And despite referring to "complicated issues," Christie has not articulated the reason for his reticence about medical marijuana (except for everyone's favorite stalking horse, the slippery slope) and it's hard to imagine why this particular part of it is complicated except from a political and polling standpoint.

h/t Faceless Commenter

Comments

[Andrew S.]

Why did the people of New Jersey elect Chris Christie? Were the other candidates just that bad? Did he threaten to sit on them?

As I said in the morning links, the guy shouldn't have to move, but at least he's willing to.

And if you value your sanity, do not read the comments to the linked story.

[wareagle]

the incumbent was Jon Corzine. Any other questions?

[entropy]

It's New Jersey. Chris Christie is probably the best NJ can do, but that's not an argument for Chris Christie, it's an argument for nuking New Jersey.

[Dead or In Jail]

Chris Christie = Rudy Giuliani + Obesity.

He's a former federal prosecutor so he thinks whatever he says just IS the law.

He doesn't care that the medical marijuana statute was duly enacted in the legislature of the state of New Jersey and he is sworn to execute duly enacted laws.

He would rather that a 2-year-old suffer seizures than that some people enjoy smoking "funny cigarettes."

What if we were to take away his cheeseburgers?

Would he like that?

No, 2-year-old Vivian must suffer seizures so that Chris Christie's ego and constituencies are not offended.

You know what I think?

I think that 2-year old Vivian Wilson is more important than Chris Christie's political career.

[Pro Libertate]

Not voting for Christie is more complicated than him being a statist fuck.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Brian Wilson can't look past his own petty problems and see the big picture revolving around the 2016 Republican presidential primary.

[Loki]

the big picture revolving around the 2016 Republican presidential primary.

Is "the big picture" Christie's new nickname? If so, I think you've got it backwards, the 2016 republican primary orbits around him. He has the larger gravity well afterall.

[Almanian!]

Stipulating, "Fuck my opinion cause I don't live there and therefore Christie's not my governor":

I had high hopes for him initially. I liked the way he'd take on hecklers and seemed pretty straightforward, etc.

Then we started to see decisions like this one, the statist tack, the begging for federal $$ for Sandy cleanup, etc. Just another statist fuck.

Fuck you, Christie. I wish ill on you for this decision, and hope you suffer sometime and it could be prevented by MJ, but you can't get it cause...."DIFFICULT DECISION". Fuck. YOU.

That is all.

[Libertymike]

Why would you have had high hopes?

What could you realistically expect from a government guy? If a politician has been an assistant district attorney or an assistant attorney general or an assistant united states attorney, what in the world would such a politician have to offer a libertarian?

[timbo]

Another pseudo socialist sack of crap.

[Ken Shultz]

"I'll have a decision by Friday. I wish for the best for you, your daughter and your family and I'm going to do what I think is best for the people of the state," Christie told Wilson.

He wishes the best for that father, his suffering daughter, and the state of New Jersey, but he's going to do what he thinks is best for Chris Christie and his own viability as an establishment GOP presidential candidate.

This is like when Bill Clinton executed a functional retard just to prove that he was tough on crime.

[wareagle]

and the people predisposed toward not supporting Clinton, many in favor of the death penalty, kept on not supporting him. And the opposite was also true. As someone else here said, principals over principles.

[Ken Shultz]

Chris Christie isn't going to let the suffering of a dying little girl get between him and his shot at the nomination. That's for sure.

[creech]

Who the heck isn't going to vote for Christie if he approves the bill? Almost without exception, everyone I know in the tea party supports controlled medical marijuana.

[Ken Shultz]

The Tea Party isn't in control of the GOP. If they were, John Boehner wouldn't be Speaker.

The GOP hates the Tea Party.

He's running as an establishment candidate--meaning "not Tea Party".

The people who raise the money and volunteer as staff during elections are still mostly establishment GOP, and they don't want Marijuana legalized any more than they want Al Qaeda teaching Islam in public schools.

[Ken Shultz]

The establishment GOP would rather lose and election--if the alternative was supporting things like marijuana legalization, gay rights, and immigration reform.

For the establishment GOP, they don't really care about foreign policy or ObamaCare or TARP or taxes and spending...all that stuff is secondary. If the culture war is wrong, then they don't want to be right.

[entropy]

I don't think you have it right there.

I doubt the establishment believes in culture war at all, that's just how they whip up the rubes to get elected.

On MJ legalization you're right, on gay rights I'm not sure. On immigration, you're totally off base. The establishment end of the party wants immigration reform badly. It's the base of the party (including tea partiers) that hates it.

[Ken Shultz]

I'm sure it's different in different places, but suffice it to say, when you poll most of the delegates at the convention, and when you go talk to primary voters in Iowa, you're not going to find as much Tea Party love--as people who think culture war issues, like abortion, marijuana etc. are important, and those the voters Christie appears to be gunning for, and that's most likely why he's reluctant to embrace medical marijuana.

Hell, even Rand Paul's strategy has to do with taking just enough establishment GOP positions to be palatable to establishment Republicans.

[John Galt]

"Hell, even Rand Paul's strategy has to do with taking just enough establishment GOP positions to be palatable to establishment Republicans."

Which is why, at this point at least, I'm willing to allow Rand some leeway. He can't do anything for me if he can't first be elected to office.

[Ken Shultz]

+1

[entropy]

Don't confuse 'establishment republican' with 'mainstream republican'.

The war on drugs use to be mainstream in GOP circles and the establishment as well, but I think it's changing amongst the rank and file.

The vast majority of typical republican voters oppose stuff like gay marriage and immigration. They aren't the establishment, they're the bulk.

The establishment like I said very much wants immigration against the wishes of the bulk of the party (and honestly, the bulk of the country left right and center). They were trying to push it under Bush and got blocked by their own angry voters.

Primary voters in Iowa are not 'establishment'. They're voters. The GOP establishment is not properly a term for 'typical generic Republican'. It's a faction, and it's probably the one furthest removed from your typical Iowa primary socon voters.

[John C. Randolph]

He hasn't had a shot at the Republican nomination since his last round of Obama-fluffing. He does have the makings of another Arlen Specter, though.

-jcr

[SIV]

Christie has zero chance of winning the GOP presidential nom. He has to go independent or Dem if he wants a line on the Nov 2016 ballot.

[Andrew S.]

You underestimate the idiocy of the establishment GOP. If they nominated McCain and Romney, they can nominate Christie.

[SIV]

Romney and McCain carried themselves over the line. Christie is just an obese Rudy Giuliani.

[Invisible Finger]

Christie is the one candidate Hilary Clinton can beat.

No matter which party Christie is in.

[Libertymike]

Who would win in a race to the chow line?

[Fist of Etiquette]

"I want to make sure that if we do it, we do it in a way that's helpful to children ? does not reduce any of the requirements of the program to make sure that this does not go down a slippery slope," Christie has said.

What an assload of weasel speak.

[Live Free or Diet]

I had a relative who might have been saved from a particularly nasty form of cancer, but the drug isn't approved in the USA. The rationale for not giving it to him was that it might kill him or leave him addicted for life.
Oh, I get it, it's better to have him die in weeks of screaming agony than to have it happen quickly, or get a senior citizen hooked on something.

[anon]

The rationale for not giving it to him was that it might kill him or leave him addicted for life.

Both of which are obviously worse than death!

Seriously, these fuckers perform so many mental gymnastics...

[Andrew S.]

I've done work for a drug company in the past. One of their drugs was approved in Europe and had been used there successfully for years. Yet over here, the FDA was forcing them to spend tens of millions of dollars to re-do tests that were already successful in Europe, because apprently drugs work differently on Americans than they do on Europeans.

(and people wonder why drugs are so expensive)

[Live Free or Diet]

They must believe in some new interpretation of American Exceptionalism.

[Ross]

I think Marijauna should be legal but "don't let my daughter die" Come on, Marijauna's not a cure for anything. Good at easing sypmtoms or treating pain but not a cure. Let's at least make honest statements when fighting for a cause.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Why? Because the politicians are honest and never use hyperbole? Because politicians, like, totally understand science and reason and stuff? Because politicians never use emotion to manipulate their constituents?

I encourage anyone and everyone to use the political class's methods against them. It's sweet & delicious.

[Zeb]

In most cases you are right. But it does seem like it has saved some children's lives, or at least made them worth living. For example http://reason.com/blog/2013/08.....ed-this-li

[SKR]

but it can help them keep food down and thus keep their strength up enabling them a greater chance at survival.

[gaoxiaen]

Christie can't imagine anyone not able to eat.

[Invisible Finger]

Marijauna's not a cure for anything.

Since the feds outlaw doing any research on the subject, that's an outrageous claim.

[Zeb]

It seems to do more than ease pain and stimulate appetite in some cases. It seems to be very effective at controlling some seizure disorders and there are some hints that it has some anti-cancer properties. It would be nice to find out for sure.

[nipplemancer]

In this little girls's case, it actually will save her life. Her seizures severe and frequent. Outside of the cannabinoids found in Cannabis, there are no effective treatments and what drugs are available have nasty side effects that could kill her just as fast as the seizures will.
Also, we're not talking about bong hits for a two-year-old. She eats edible forms of cannabis like cookies, brownies and other baked goods, which remain illegal according to the MMJ statute in NJ. This bill would amend it to allow other edibles than lozenges.

[hotsy totsy]

And Ross, you know this how?

[Zeb]

Yo, fuck Chris Christie.

[Robert]

Do I have to?

[John C. Randolph]

I'm pretty sure that the whores in NJ would decline that assignment, even if he was paying Elliot Spitzer prices.

-jcr

[Night Elf Mohawk]

No, it is pretty simple. Certainly much simpler than your belief that you can make the right choice for each and every New Jerseyan (-ite?) or that one answer even can fit everyone. Get your fat ass out of the way and let the people make their own choices.

I certainly improperly extrapolated from his willingness to speak math to teachers.

[Almanian!]

I think it's "New Jerseyisterianiteman".

[The Late P Brooks]

"No, I know you think it's simple?I know you think it's simple and it's not," Christie said.

"You think it's simple, but you don't have the political calculus of a Presidential campaign to think about. Now, run along and let the grownups handle this. we know what's best for you and your little girl."

I hope that worthless fuck's State Police fatsocopter falls out of the sky.

[Doctor Whom]

But Christie is a raging Randroid government-hater because of one canceled tunnel project. *sigh*

[Rhywun]

I seem to remember him telling the teachers union to stuff it on a few occasions. That was enjoyable.

[John C. Randolph]

Stopped clock and all that. Hell, I even remember hearing Bubba the Slut saying that "the era of big government is over".

-jcr

[The Late P Brooks]

I think Christie's "refreshing" bluntness in the presence of hecklers just makes obvious his utter disdain for the plebes who pay his salary.

[The Late P Brooks]

because of one canceled tunnel project.

I think that had to do with wanting it to funded completely with federal money, rather than any principled analysis.

[John Galt]

As much enormous effort as it must take to dig a hole big enough, he just keeps digging it bigger and deeper.

[pan fried wylie]

And yet doesn't lose a pound.

[Gladstone]

Fortunately for libertarian-minded voters, Palin and Cruz are hardly the only fishes in the sea. As the recent report on young voters from the College Republican National Committee pointed out, the GOP is flush with next-generation leaders, among them Chris Christie, Marco Rubio and Bobby Jindal.

http://reason.com/blog/2013/06.....ibertarian

[John Galt]

Whether or not it's 20/20, hindsight can be hilarious.

[Night Elf Mohawk]

That may be the dumbest sentence ever written on this site, even counting those who shall not be named.

[Gladstone]

The fact that he seems to conflate "libertarian" and "future GOP leader" is pretty terrible. Either he was stupid or he was being disingenuous.

[SIV]

Nick just wants all those new Border Patrol agents, E-verify, tighter restrictions on H1b visas and welfare for all of Shikha Dalmia's relatives back in India when they come over here. Cruz is agin' it, Christie is fer it.
Also you can't disassociate yourself from any position or politician praised by Palin too many times. Cultural signifiers are important in both DC and shithole Ohio college towns.

[SIV]

NEVER FORGET!

[Kaptious Kristen]

So if adult citizens are children in Christie's mind (and, let's face it, in the minds of every politician, ever), what are actual children?

[John]

But Nick told us that Christie is one of the new GOP Libertarian voices.

Man he is never going to live that down.

[Gladstone]

Man he is never going to live that down.

Yeah he deserves shit for that. I suppose he defend himself by saying he is a shitty writer or a disingenuous GOP concern troll.

[John]

Yeah. It has been obvious for several years Christie is a fat piece of shit. He is the worst sort of Republican. But he is not a dreaded SOCON so I guess the Reason writers can be forgiving about him.

[Zeb]

Well, I think a lot of people got sucked in a bit when he was telling off the teachers' unions.

[Gladstone]

Gillespie wrote that less than two months ago.

[Zeb]

Well, that's what you get for actually reading the blog posts.

[Floridian]

What are actually children? Fuck em' they can't vote!

[CampingInYourPark]

Rand Paul should ask Chris Christie if he wants to sit across this little girl, look into the eyes of her and her parents, and explain why she should have to die.

What did you say? Maybe that beer wasn't such a bad idea?

[John]

Fatso would. It wouldn't bother him at all.

[Arkansaustrian Economics]

Rand Paul should ask Chris Christie if he wants to sit across this little girl

I think she has enough problems already.

[The Late P Brooks]

Rand Paul should ask Chris Christie if he wants to sit across this little girl, look into the eyes of her and her parents, and explain why she should have to die.

"Listen, little girl. Your suffering and eventual agonizing death will be worth it, if we can keep just one normal, healthy kid from smoking that devil weed JUST FOR FUN. Utilitarianism works; you can look it up."

[John]

And you think you are joking Brooks. Fatso would tell her exactly that or words to that effect and feel proud and brave for doing so.

[Rebekah]

Think he means "It's complicated" like a Facebook relationship status.

I mean, it'd really put strain on the fellator/fellatee relationship he has with Obama if Christie gave those paying attention yet more opportunity to point out The Anointed One's hypocrisy regarding medical marijuana.

[John]

+100 Yeah, Christie's relationship with Obama is complicated. I mean they are not together together. They not committed. But they like spending time together and Christie likes to give Obama a blow job when they spend long afternoons at the shore together.

[Libertymike]

Some relationships are not so complicated. Some relationships are so simple all you have to do is invoke O's razor. Example:

Christie's relationship with cheeseburgers.

[Rebekah]

Ugh. Substitute a question mark after the first sentence and edit the second to make it somewhat readable.

Need moar coffee. And an edit button.

[amelia]

I woke up in a good mood this morning, which is frankly a rarity. I should have known better than to come to Hit 'n' Run and risk spoiling it.

[TallDave]

I think you confused "red herring" with "stalking horse" there.

A stalking horse is a figure that tests a concept with someone or mounts a challenge against someone on behalf of an anonymous third party. If the idea proves viable or popular, the anonymous figure can then declare its interest and advance the concept with little risk of failure. If the concept fails, the anonymous party will not be tainted by association with the failed concept and can either drop the idea completely or bide its time and wait until a better moment for launching an attack.

As an informal fallacy, the red herring falls into a broad class of relevance fallacies. Unlike the strawman, which is premised on a distortion of the other party's position,[2] the red herring is a seemingly plausible, though ultimately irrelevant, diversionary tactic.[3] According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a red herring may be intentional, or unintentional, it does not necessarily mean a conscious intent to mislead.[1]

[Andrew DeFaria]

I'd tell Mr. Crisco to go fuck himself but I don't think that even he's seen his asshole for decades!

[John C. Randolph]

So, his circumference, the Head Thug of New Jersey, believes that maintaining obedience is more important than saving lives. That's exactly the same depraved indifference towards human suffering that Willard Romney displayed in the last election cycle.

-jcr

[timbo]

Your classmate is full of shit.

[Kaptious Kristen]

You're a dirty, dirty whore, Kathie. Do you kiss your classmate's sister-in-law with that mouth?

[Live Free or Diet]

"The Laptop" is the street name of her pimp.

[Rhywun]

Is it just me or are the comments not making a lick of sense this morning...? Seems like something was... redacted.

[anon]

You're a dirty, dirty whore, Kathie.
nttawwt

[Kaptious Kristen]

Awww...there was a work-at-home spam. They probably have their indentured servant new intern culling all the comment threads now.

[Zeb]

I wish they woudl either delete responses to deleted comments, or put some space filler in so that it doesn't look like the responses are to someone else.

[anon]

I'm actually impressed with the speed that happened. I've never seen someone so on top of their game.

Did Reason start paying their interns or something? wtf.

[Rhywun]

I noticed that. My one comment yesterday was followed by AnonBot later in the evening, but that was gone in the morning. I thought I was going nuts.

[Loki]

Did Reason start paying their interns or something?

They started allowing half an hour of playtime in the afternoon for whoever removes the most spambot comments.

[Loki]

This way it makes it look like all the replies are aimed at some imaginary voice in everyone's heads. Pretty soon we'll all be labeled as mentally defective.

[anon]

Pretty soon?

[Andrew S.]

We're not already?