Chris Christie made good on his promise to decide about a medical marijuana bill that had been sitting on his desk for about two months. It’s not yet a done deal, however.
The New Jersey governor said he would sign the bill that would expand marijuana treatment options for children. But Christie wants the state legislature to make a few changes first . In so doing, he issued what’s called a conditional veto. The changes include limiting edible pot to sick kids only and with the approval of both a pediatrician and a psychiatrist.
Earlier this week, Christie was confronted by a constituent who wanted the governor sign the bill. Brian Wilson is the father of Vivian, 2, who suffers from a severe form of epilepsy known as Dravet Syndrome, which can be treated by a specific strain of medical marijuana.
Christie promised Wilson that he would make a decision today. “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.”
In a statement, the governor and potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate said that “Today, I am making commonsense recommendations to this legislation to ensure sick children receive the treatment their parents prefer, while maintaining appropriate safeguards. I am calling on the Legislature to reconvene quickly and address these issues so that children in need can get the treatment they need.”
In an interview on CNN this afternoon, Brian Wilson called the conditional veto — which he said was expected — a small victory, but that it still puts the government in between the parents and the doctors. He added that it is “kind of ludicrous” to a certain extent. He asserted that that the inclusion of a psychiatrist to the mix is just a roadblock making it more difficult for parents to obtain medical marijuana treatment for their children. There is no rhyme nor reason to involve the psychiatrist in the decisionmaking, he insisted. Wilson also noted that if the law is modified in the way that Christie wants, adult medical marijuana users will still have no option other than to smoke pot.
What do you think of Chris Christie’s medical marijuana decision?
