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TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie Friday vowed to veto a bill up for a vote Monday that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

"The federal government still says marijuana is an illegal drug," Christie said during a town hall meeting in Readington, attended by more than 500 people.

"I don’t think we should send any sort tacit approval to our children that somehow this is not bad anymore," he said, triggering applause.

The remarks come as the Assembly is expected to vote Monday on the bill (A1465), which would make minor pot possession as serious as a speeding ticket.

Currently, those caught with small amounts of marijuana face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, in addition to a possible driver’s license suspension and hundreds of dollars in court fees.

Under the bill, people caught with 15 grams or less of marijuana would be subject to a $150 fine for a first violation, a $200 fine for a second violation, and a $500 fine for a third or subsequent violation, with $50 going toward drug education programs, according to the bill.

Judges could order a drug evaluation for an offender arrested three times, according to the bill.

Christie Friday said the bill would be "contrary to the message we are sending" by establishing a strict medical marijuana program, expected to get underway later this summer, that will ensure only severely ill people get access to the drug.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), one of the bill’s sponsors, said he would talk to the governor to see if he could change his mind.

"He has to stop running for vice president," Gusciora said. "We spend an inordinate amount of time prosecuting (people for) one joint."

Gusciora said he suspects law enforcement officials have more pressing worries than minor pot possession. And in this economy, he said, an arrest record often has a devastating effect on people trying to get a job.

The bill still has a long way to go to get to Christie’s desk. A competing version in the Senate has not been scheduled for a hearing.

Star-Ledger staff writer Jenna Portnoy contributed to this report.

Related coverage:

• Bill to decriminalize marijuana possession is advanced by N.J. Assembly committee

• Decriminalize marijuana possession? N.J. Assembly committee to discuss it

• Bill to decriminalize small amount of marijuana gets N.J. Assembly committee hearing