Chris Christie: Drug War Policy Must Be 'Much Different And Much Better'

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) spoke out against the war on drugs on Monday, saying that "we need to do much different and much better than what we've done."

Christie, once a favorite of many Republicans as a potential 2012 presidential candidate, has endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has firmly backed the drug war. But in Monday's speech, Christie panned usual drug-enforcement tactics as ineffective and promoted often-controversial alternatives like treatment.

"I don't believe the only weapon we use against the drug problem is incarceration," he said in a short video released by his office. "I just don't think it's worked. And I think we see it over and over again that there's evidence that it hasn't."

Christie spoke at the Camden Kitchen, a soup kitchen and culinary training facility for past drug offenders located in Camden, N.J. He was there touting his expansion of the state's drug court program, which currently provides 1,400 nonviolent offenders per year with options for treatment and drug testing.

According to the Associated Press, Christie claims such programs save the state significant money. He says that the court's treatment program costs the state only $11,000 per person instead of the $39,000 required to jail each offender.

Such programs defy Republican orthodoxy on the drug war, but Christie insisted that treatment, unlike jail time, attacks the root causes of drug-related crime: "Our experience tells us that there's a lot of folks who are non-violent drug offenders who are spending a lot of time in ... prisons and not being treated for the underlying addiction that's the problem that drives their continued involvement in crime."

However, Christie emphasized that his proposals would not apply to violent offenders. "You commit an act of violence, then, you know, you're going to have to go to the back of the line," he said. Despite his criticisms, he also said that the original architects of the drug war "had the best of intentions."

Christie is not the only governor to call for drug policy changes this week. Govs. Lincoln Chafee (I-R.I.) and Chris Gregoire (D-Wash.) issued a call on Wednesday for the federal government to make marijuana a Schedule II drug so that it can be used for medicinal purposes.

Watch Christie's comments below:

Comments

[countthevote]

01:04 PM on 01/25/2013

We need Civil Libertarians to make a difference by joining the Democratic Party and fighting for Gun Rights and to End the Drug War within the Democratic Party - the Party most in favor of all Civil Rights.

To be unreasonable by removing yourself from being involved in the major parties is not helping America, it is dividing civil libertarians.

Economic Freedom for the Robber Barons historically does not equate to Economic or Personal Freedom for Labor.

[workingmansblues]

04:13 AM on 02/28/2012

Legalize marijuana and cocaine and tax it to pay for state and local government True conservatives like William F. Buckley advocated this.

Treatment should only be for people with substance abuse problems not for people convicted of violent crimes or for theft crimes. If you get caught stealing and you have a joint in your pocket you go to jail for the stealing. The joint should, at most, be an aggravating factor knocking the violation up from say first degree misdemeanor to second degree misdemeanor or it should create a presumption that you are stealing to buy drugs and that should be an aggravating factor.

[joeyfoto]

01:46 PM on 01/16/2012

Saying "Drug war isn't working." overlooks all of the people for whom Drug war works First and foremost "Drug War" works for the drug warriors, what I call the "Drug-cop-jail-court-prison-industrial-complex." For entire communities of public employees Drug War works. as it works for all those who oppose civil liberties, and make no mistake about it there are many who see civil liberties — especially the right to privacy — as impediments to an orderly society.

"Drug War" also has worked for politicians to whom it had given great powers to intrude; to invade to terrify citizens with disproportionate horror stories, that have blown unquestionable threats to public health and public safety out of proportion which has enhance their power.

For forty years California has built prisons instead of universities... The consequences of that political decision are now obvious. The next time a politician states: "Drug war doesn't work.." ask yourself "for whom?"

[CR21]

12:01 AM on 12/28/2011

I don't have a problem providing treatment who want it; however, I think automatic treatment without any indication that the person has a drug problem (and may just want to get out of jail time for breaking into a convenience store) is a joke.

[Kritikos]

05:12 PM on 12/26/2011

The War on Drugs;..............what a failure.

[Djay0252]

11:35 AM on 12/24/2011

The drug war is a failure....it has become a war on people with billions being thrown down the drain!

[HipsterCorgi]

12:24 PM on 12/17/2011

Common sense tells us that putting someone in prison to protect them from marijuana is hurting them more than the marijuana. Christie is close, but no cigar (blunt is more appropriate actually). Why should addiction be illegal at all? Help people who are truly addicted, but otherwise stop telling us what is good or bad for us.

[RankineCycle]

12:06 PM on 12/05/2011

It seems to be assumed that everyone who uses a drug is an "offender" and has a "problem" or "addiction". This is not the case, and is the exception rather than the norm. Most people who use drugs use them for personal recreation/enhancement of their lives and not because they are "bad" or have a "problem".

Those who do have genuine "addictions" where the excessive use of a drug or other substance (junk food, etc.) is a result of trying to medicate stress, depression, or some other genuine problem should be afforded something besides imprisonment simply because they possessed a particular arrangement of chemical elements.

[HipsterCorgi]

12:20 PM on 12/17/2011

There are some of us who believe there is nothing wrong with a little marijuana use. Who are they to judge? The same people who eat too much, drink too much, gamble, etc. Make all addiction illegal or none of it. Singling out marijuana is crazy.

[Truse]

02:11 AM on 01/30/2012

I agree with you. If all drugs would be legalized the killings around the world would eventually decrease, if not end. The war on drugs is not a political phrase or one of the government it is a money making company. "Think about the money the government collects when the drug dealers get caught plus the tax payer also contribute to this money making business. I strongly believe that the ONLY reason drugs are illegal it’s because the government can't make profit from it. Think about it for moments" Why are prostitution, gambling and drug trafficking illegal? Because these Industries don't pay their annual fees [TAXES]. All crimes such as. Prostitution, gambling and drugs are illegal for the same reason. "There are drugs on the market that are addictive & kill people!" But those companies are allowed by LAW and do not go to prison for selling these products. These companies kill & addict million of Americans each year. These companies are: The Tobacco & Alcohol Industries but are allowed to profit because they pay their annual fees every year [TAXES].

[genejoe70]

11:43 PM on 12/04/2011

God created it....George Washington grew it....if you believe in the American dollar bill----- than you should ask your congressman WHY its still illegal! It is time -- to LEGALIZE!!

[mutatis mutandis]

09:32 PM on 12/04/2011

Stop the crackdown on MMJ-

http://wh.gov/jtY

[Cannadude]

04:07 PM on 12/04/2011

Is this the same Gov Christie who did his worst to NOT let a voter approved medical marijuana program in NJ go through? Wasnt that just a couple of months ago? Is he running for reelection?

[Cannadude]

04:04 PM on 12/04/2011

Isn't this the same Christie who did his best NOT to let a voter approved Medical Marijuana program go through? Wasn't that just a few months ago?!

[DougDeWitt]

02:12 AM on 12/03/2011

Marijuana is not a drug, but a plant. People who smoke it, or vaporize it, or eat it... in most cases do not need treatment, nor counseling. They simply need to be left alone.

My recommendation? If someone is convicted of driving while "under the influence" of cannabis, then counseling is a good idea... if in the opinion of the counselor there is a serious, aberrant dependence problem, then that counselor alone should have the authority to recommend treatment, rather than have it be an automatic revenue-generation scam for the criminal justice system.

Otherwise, there is no need to oppress people who smoke, vaporize or eat weed, even for recreational purposes. Apparently the majority of American voters agree.

[TheTightwireGuy]

04:49 PM on 12/02/2011

" Christie ... promoted often-controversial alternatives like treatment."

I hate it when the press labels drug harm reduction programs as "controversial" when the real controversy is the outrageous assault on both personal liberty and public fiscal soundness that the "war on drugs" has precipitated. These alternatives to criminal prosecution of drug use have been successfully used in Netherlands and Portugal for over a decade. I don't use these drugs and don't recommend others do so, but I am outraged at how the drug war has been used by unscrupulous politicians to divide and conquer the middle class, advance the careers and budgets of countless public officials, and feather the pockets of the private prison industry. Wake up, America!

[DougDeWitt]

02:13 AM on 12/03/2011

I, on the other hand, will stand with Bill Maher.

[HipsterCorgi]

12:27 PM on 12/17/2011

And all the while the politicians are pot smokers.

[Zebnick]

10:12 AM on 12/02/2011

You moderators at Huffpo, who erase posts with political ideas you don't agree with are no better than the censors from the old USSR, MAO's China or Pol Pot's Cambodia. You are a disgrace to the first amendment and a free society.

[dethburger]

12:34 PM on 12/02/2011

You need to understand the difference between a government and a private company.

That said, HP is a bit trigger happy on a lot of posts, not just the ones you are concerned with.

[Zebnick]

01:13 PM on 12/03/2011

Public vs private = irrelevant

[Gonzo333]

01:35 PM on 12/02/2011

Agree