The polls may say Americans are leaning toward legalizing the use of marijuana, and states like Colorado may have passed their own laws, but Chris Christie said Wednesday that if he's elected president, he'll push for enforcement of the federal laws that are on the books unless they're changed.
"When you take an oath of office, it says you will enforce the laws, not just the laws you like," the New Jersey governor and GOP presidential candidate told
Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program.
He also pointed out that he doesn't exactly agree with the existence of "sanctuary cities" in the United States that allow local lawmakers to not cooperate with immigration officials, but they are legal and if he's elected, he'll uphold the laws.
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And while surveys show that 54 percent of millennial voters support the legalization of marijuana, Christie said he isn't worried about losing the youth vote with his stance.
"I don't think you lose voters by telling them you'll enforce the laws," said Christie, noting that a president can't selectively enforce laws, and that if people want a national law, they should go to their member of Congress and push for the law to be changed.
His comments on Wednesday echoed statements made in a Newport, New Hampshire, town-hall meeting on Tuesday, when he warned marijuana users in states where it is legal to "enjoy it" while they can, because if he is elected president, that will be over.
"If you’re getting high in Colorado today, enjoy it," the governor said, reports
Bloomberg News. "As of January 2017, I will enforce the federal laws."
Christie has opposed the legalization of marijuana for some time, saying he believes marijuana alters the brain and is a "gateway drug" that leads to the use of harder substances.
He has opposed his own state's
medical marijuana program, saying that such laws offer a front for full legalization of marijuana.
So far, four states and Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for recreational use, with sales banned in the nation's capital, and at least 10 more states are considering legalization.
Also on Wednesday's Fox program, Christie complained about the use of polls, and complained that a poll by Monmouth College that placed him far behind in the presidential race was skewed because its pollster is a liberal that does not like him.
"Go look at his tweets," Christie said. "This is not an unobjective pollster; he's a liberal."
He also scolded the "Fox & Friends" crew for asking him why he "blew up" at questions on Tuesday about the poll.
"First of all I didn't blow up, so let's stop this," Christie said. "You guys are better than that."
On Tuesday, The Star-Ledger in Christie's home state posted
a video of the governor complaining about the poll.
"There are polls and there are polls, guys," he told reporters, complaining that many have "no quality control."
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He also complained about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's refusal to answer questions on the pending Keystone XL project.
"She answers the questions she wants to answer," Christie said. "It's inconceivable that the former secretary of state won't talk about something that impacts the country's relationship with our neighbors to the north. She's trying to have it both ways."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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