Gov. Christie Backs More Red Tape for Marijuana

I was going to head into the weekend without putting up another post. But then I saw this story from CNN about Gov. Chris Christie's response to his state's pending medical marijuana legislation.

I know, it's the second post this week about marijuana and CNN and still nothing about the uprising in Egypt, Bradley Manning's sentencing, or the latest revelations from Edward Snowden. But there are priorities at stake.

CNN have been reporting on Brian Wilson, a father from NJ whose 2-year-old daughter suffers from seizures due to Dravet's syndrome. This latest story is just a continuation, with the added twist of the father asking Christie "I was wondering what the holdup was; it's been like two months now."

Christie's response is the reason this story takes precedence over seemingly more important liberty news: "These are complicated issues," Christie told Wilson. "I know you think it's simple and it's not."

Actually, it's very simple. Allow me to quote from the Bill of Rights: "No person shall be... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law...."

In this case, a 2-year-old girl's life and pursuit of happiness are both at stake. Preventing the seizures gives her and her family hope that she can grow up to be a normal girl, and it gives her the chance to actually go to school and form social relationships and get a job so she's not hooked on Medicaid. Why are these "unalienable rights" being denied to a little girl? Because the federal government and the State of New Jersey have both decided to interject themselves into the private affairs of individuals and deny them the right to a successful treatment.

Oh, and also because Chris Christie refuses to stand up for the American way. If this episode is any preview of a future Christie presidency, I fear for the nation's future.

While the law in New Jersey may be complicated, Gov. Christie has the right and the duty to protect the life and liberty of this little girl, not to mention her pursuit of happiness. As the top law enforcement officer in his state, he can issue an executive order to all other law enforcement entities in his state that expressly say they may not prosecute Brian Wilson's family for exercising their inborn human rights.

Gov. Christie, it is very simple. Don't give us the lame excuse that you first require more red tape from the NJ state legislature before this little girl's suffering can stop. Start respecting her rights NOW! It is your job to protect her, not ill-conceived federal or state laws about drug possession.

The government has never had any right to make marijuana illegal, as is made clear in both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It's time to stand up for all our rights by standing up for a 2-year-old girl.