Jon Corzine signed New Jersey’s medical-marijuana law before leaving office in January, and Governor Christie, predictably skeptical of it, has been negotiating the particulars since. But yesterday, Christie agreed to six growing and distribution sites for the plant within the state, after previously calling for only two, and now medical marijuana could hit the market in New Jersey in a few months, according to the Post. And while the Christie administration had pushed to require qualifying patients to exhaust every other treatment before receiving weed, yesterday’s compromise applies that restriction to only patients with seizures, glaucoma, and muscle spasms. Among the states that allow it, however, New Jersey will become the only one to limit the amount of psychotropic chemical permitted in the marijuana, to a non-trippy 10 percent.
Notoriously hard-assed Chris Christie doesn’t seem to be softening otherwise, though. The same day he compromised on the marijuana law, he responded to Governor Paterson’s proposal for New York and New Jersey to split the cost of rebuilding the deteriorating Tappan Zee Bridge with this statement: “I can’t make this any clearer to New York. You’re not going to come and pick our pockets. New Jersey is not going to permit it anymore. Stop screwing with us!” There’s the Chris Christie we know.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie slams Gov. Paterson’s idea for joint fix for Tappan Zee Bridge [NYDN]
New Jersey Closer to Sales of Medical Marijuana [NYT]
NJ gov to allow ‘less potent’ medical marijuana [NYP]
