New Jersey Gov. and potential Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said Tuesday that he would “crack down” on states that have legalized marijuana if he were elected president.
“Absolutely,” Mr. Christie said on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” when asked if he would enforce federal drug laws in states where marijuana is legalized, The Hill reported. “I will crack down and not permit it.”
“Marijuana is a gateway drug. We have an enormous addiction problem in this country, and we need to send very clear leadership from the White House on down to federal law enforcement,” he said. “Marijuana is an illegal drug under federal law, and the states should not be permitted to sell it and profit from it.”
Mr. Christie, who has not yet announced a presidential run but has launched a political action committee, has always taken a hard-line approach to marijuana, but his views on federal intervention are becoming increasingly unpopular among Republicans.
Fifty-four percent told Pew Research Center in its most recent poll that the federal government should not interfere with the states — Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska — that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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