This week New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie reiterated his intention to crack down on marijuana in states that have legalized it if he is elected president. In an interview on Face the Nation last Sunday, Christie answered “yes” when asked whether he would “return the federal prosecutions in these states,” “yes” when asked if he would “go after” marijuana, and “correct” when asked if legalization would be “turned off.”
If he were president, Christie could make a lot of trouble for state-licensed growers and retailers, but he would not actually have the power to make Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Oregon recriminalize marijuana. Furthermore, any attempt to override the decisions made by voters in those states would arouse strong objections—and not just from supporters of legalization.
