Last Tuesday New Jersey Governor Christopher J. Christie gave the green light to six marijuana dispensaries in his state.
Christie, a Republican, who served as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey from 2002 through 2008, said he sought, but never received assurances from the Justice Department that those working in the marijuana programs would be exempt from federal prosecution.
“It’s a risk that I’m taking as governor,” said Christie at an afternoon news conference. “But I’m taking that risk because I believe the need to provide compassionate pain relief to these citizens of our state outweighs the risk that we are taking in moving forward with the program as it is set up.”
Wow. . . political courage. . . a principled stand. . . BALLS!
Speaking to the Providence Journal, executive director of the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition JoAnne Leppanen,
. . . hailed Christie’s order to have the state Health Department immediately contact the dispensary operators to find out how soon they can open for business.
“I think it really answers all of the concerns that [Chafee] has had,” she said. “There’s no reason not to go ahead. We are less threatening because we only have three dispensaries.”
Bob Kerr has a somewhat more sophisticated take on these events in today’s Sunday Providence Journal in which he never once mentions balls, but come on we’re all thinking it. Maybe some Emerson will elevate the tone here — “Good men should not obey the law too well.”
Still . . . balls.