Chris Christie Wants Edible Marijuana, But Only For Sick Children

A medical marijuana bill that would allow sick children in New Jersey to consume edible marijuana has been stalled on Governor Chris Christie's desk, as he says he'll sign it but only if changes are made.

"I am not going to turn New Jersey into Colorado and California. I'm not legalizing marijuana in New Jersey," Christie said in July.

According to CNN the bill currently would allow all people with medical marijuana prescriptions access to edible marijuana products, but Christie said he would only sign the new bill if it specified that edible marijuana products only be available to children with medial marijuana prescriptions, not adults. Currently New Jersey allows medical marijuana to be dispensed as whole leaves or as lozenges, but many parents of seriously ill children pressed for edible marijuana products to be allowed because they were concerned about the choking hazard presented by lozenges.

Christie also opposes a provision that would have allowed sick children to qualify for prescriptions with only a doctor's approval. Currently the law requires children to e approved by both a pediatrician and a psychiatrist, which many parents see as an unnecessary roadblock, especially considering cases where the children are not capable of speech.

"Today, I am making commonsense recommendations to this legislation to ensure sick children receive the treatment their parents prefer, while maintaining appropriate safeguards," Christie said in a statement released Friday. "I am calling on the Legislature to reconvene quickly and address these issues so that children in need can get the treatment they need."