New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Slams Colorado For Recreational Marijuana

A caller recently called into 101.5 for a monthly “Ask the Governor” segment on the popular station to ask New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie about his stand on decriminalizing marijuana, namely the revenue and business benefits of legalizing the drug.

Christie responded with the “NO” heard around the world.

“You say it’s going to come down the road. You know, it may come down the road when I’m gone. It’s not going to come while I’m here,” he said, as cited in the political section of CNN.

Christie has always been in staunch opposition to legalizing marijuana in his state. He frequently urges audiences in town halls that he has spoken to about this topic, warning that a law to decriminalize pot would lead to a “slippery slope” of legalized marijuana, like recently passed laws on recreational use in Colorado and Washington State.

The governor brought up Colorado’s decision as a comparison to not only how the law surrounding legalizing pot will bring on other, more controversial laws, but also Christie went on the discuss with the caller what few others have thought about when debating this topic — the quality of life for his state.

“See, if you want to live in a major city in Colorado where there’s head shops popping up on every corner and people flying into your airport just to come and get high. To me, it’s just not the quality of life we want to have here in the state of New Jersey, and there’s no tax revenue that’s worth that.”

According the CBS News, Gallup’s Well-Being Index reveals that the quality of life remained relatively high in Colorado and Washington State after voters in those states legalized recreational marijuana use among adults in 2012. The Index didn’t specifically consider pot use but was based on a series of metrics such as emotional health, physical health, healthy behavior, and work environment. It ranked Colorado as the state with the seventh-highest well being in 2013, the first year recreational pot use was permitted. Washington was ranked ninth, while New Jersey was ranked 21st.

“I don’t care about the tax money that may come from it. And I don’t care, quite frankly, that people think it’s inevitable. It’s not inevitable here. I’m not going to permit it — never — as long as I’m governor.”

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