Corzine and Christie favor Marijuana in first debate

10/2/2009 - Chris Goldstein

Politics in New Jersey could not be hotter with a very close race for governor between Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie.

The negative ads are churning on tv and radio with both camps spending their war chest dollars hand over fist.

Yet, last night among a crowded field of sticky issues, the topic of medical marijuana came up during the 90-minute debate session. It shows just how mainstream and important the topic of safe cannabis access is here in the Garden State.

Independent runner Christopher Daggett joined the two big money candidates, and was (interestingly) declared the winner. He also said he would sign a medical cannabis law.

The New York Times picked up on the medical cannabis question in their report on the debate.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/nyregion/02debate.html?_r=1

All three candidates agreed that they would sign legislation allowing the medical use of marijuana — although Mr. Christie, who spoke last, seemed to come to his law-and-order candidate’s senses by insisting that he would sign a pending bill only if its “safeguards” were strengthened somehow.

 The part that gets under my skin is the quote from former US Attorney Chris Christie -

“We don’t want people who have a headache to be able to go and get marijuana,” he said. “We want to make sure we don’t turn into California.”

First of all: What’s wrong with California?

Voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996 and there has been no successful political challenge to the medical marijuana laws in the state since. The US Supreme Court declined a case by San Diego and San Bernardino Counties just this year. Given the back and forth ballots on gay marriage, voters and political groups seem well equipped to battle over issues in the voting booth. So, clearly the people of California do not share the same concerns about their own state as Mr. Christie does 3,000 miles away.

California residents continue to appreciate the benefits of their state authorized program.  The medical cannabis services industry is contributing tax revenue to municipal and state coffers. The CA medical marijuana activist community is a political powerhouse and academia has been involved with universities and colleges getting funding for medical cannabis research. Overall, marijuana arrests are declining, teen use is declining and state resources are not being wasted trying to keep medical patients and quality cannabis separate. In the end, California has been greatly benefited by its medical marijuana program.

I was in San Francisco last week for the national NORML conference (yes...blogs and pics coming soon!) and while it is a growing industry, the medical marijuana community of CA is too often misaligned by politicians in other states who are under-educated on the topic.

There is also a matter of science to address in Mr. Corzine's and Mr. Christie’s remarks. Research is available relating to the palliative properties of marijuana specifically for migraine headaches.  Here is a good link:

http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewanswers.asp?questionID=000218

 Doctors in California can recommend their migraine patients use cannabis. Only with that recommendation can those patients can legally obtain and consume the therapeutic plant.

Still, no one complains of a headache and gets into a medical marijuana dispensary. One cannot purchase medical marijuana in the same manner as aspirin. Having witnessed the security and check-in procedures at several dispensaries in Oakland, it is certainly different than walking into a Walgreens.

Further, Mr. Christie and Mr. Corzine seem to be unaware of the actual text of the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act . California has a unique cannabis program. But New Jersey would more emulate New Mexico or Oregon’s program. If the bill passes this fall,  New Jersey patients would not only need their doctors to recommend them cannabis but the NJ State Department of Health would have to approve their application to the program.

If Mr. Christie and Mr. Corzine would simply take time to read the legislation they would realize that the safeguards to access are already built into the proposed law. All we need to do is pass it.

The debate last night was the first time in memory that Christie has ever said he would sign any medical marijuana bill at all, ever. When asked the question previously he has either attacked the concept of safe cannabis access or said he doesn’t like the current legislative language.

But, in a tight race and with 86% of New Jerseyans polling in favor of medical marijuana, it looks like Christie is trying to save face on the issue.

In reality, few advocates have any expectation that the hard-line Republican and former US Attorney would ever sign any cannabis access bill. Hopefully Christie’s Cali Reefer Madness will be a non issue anyway.  If the medical marijuana bill passes the Assembly this fall and finds concurrence with the Senate version, then Corzine could sign it into law even if he losses his own election.

Governor Cozine has repeatedly stated that he would sign the current legislation if it reaches his desk.  In such a contentious gubernatorial race, one might think Corzine could bank on the positive political capital of medical marijuana a bit more. But his flat, one line rebuttal during the debate to the headache statement is simply more of politicians trying to play doctor. 

The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act is now in a goal-line drive to passage and advocates are working across the state to raise awareness and further support. The bill has received favorable editorials from most newspapers in the state in 2009 and has garnered significant positive media attention.  There is also bi-partisan political support for the bill, but passage this year remains far from assured.

If the bill does pass, it would make New Jersey the 14th state to offer legal cannabis access to those with a doctor’s recommendation.

More information at the Coalition for Medical Marijuana – New Jersey www.cmmnj.org

UPDATED*****10/5/09