DRUG HARM REDUCTION STILL LAUDABLE GOAL

This past week's international drug conference in Albuquerque was
something of lovefest for Gov. Gary Johnson, surrounded as he was by
hundreds of people from all over the country who support his call for
marijuana legalization.

And, at conference end, Johnson announced two new tacks he will take
with regard to drug reform. But, as with his initial call for
legalization of heroin (a hasty proposition he later retracted), these
positions appear premature in terms of preparation -- not quite thought
through. Both issues, he said, came to his attention through visits from
the public.

Johnson said he has the impression a number of drug users are in jail
because narcotics agents are "hounding" them into selling drugs, an
assertion an Albuquerque Police Department spokeswoman disputed. If
there is such a problem, it should be addressed. Johnson has said he
won't shy away from "having an impact on the problem," which is
commendable. But he will get more support from the public if he first
gathers facts. He has already said he doesn't know if he would rein in
officers or actually reduce their numbers; it depends on what his
staffers find out.

Johnson's other idea, for which he also lacks a specific proposal, is
that parolees shouldn't be sent back to prison if they test positive for
marijuana. He has a point: Perhaps smoking pot shouldn't be an automatic
condition of parole or probation, but should only be factored in if it's
pertinent to the charges or crime. Court-ordered conditions, however,
must be followed once imposed.

Convincing judicial officials that it should not be an automatic term of
condition is the step that should be taken.

Facilitating a basic shift in thinking in general is critical before
drug reform can take place. This is the real challenge Johnson faces.

It is a challenge that will be made even more difficult, however, if
Johnson alienates constituencies by making assertions -- such as the one
about narcotics agents -- without first checking the facts.

It's no secret Johnson's shoot-from-the-hip-style has inspired less than
a lovefest in his native state with regard to drug reform. To his
credit, however, he has made positive inroads. The Legislature passed
three of the "harm reduction" initiatives Johnson supported last
session: Police officers and others may now administer a drug to help
prevent heroin deaths (New Mexico is worst in the nation per capita in
fatal drug overdoses), pharmacists may sell syringes without a
prescription and $10 million was appropriated for drug treatment.

Johnson would also like to see elimination of mandatory sentencing and
more treatment in lieu of imprisonment. He is not alone. Rep. Maxine
Waters, D-Calif., has seen the toll zero tolerance and mandatory minimum
sentences have taken, especially on minority populations. At the
Albuquerque conference, sponsored by The Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy
Foundation, she said she is calling for a repeal of such laws. And
conferees were told that Californians recently passed a proposition that
calls for drug treatment instead of prison for first- and second-time,
low-level offenders, which will keep 36,000 people out of jail and cost
$4,000 a year per person instead of $25,000 a year if those people were
in jail.

Johnson's greatest strength, however, lies not with his national
supporters, but in the credibility of his bipartisan Drug Policy
Advisory Group, which after extensive research on drug policies
concluded that current drug policy has, for decades, made things worse
in terms of expense, harm to families, taxpayer dollar waste, filling
prisons and keeping the Legislature from prioritizing resources.

Johnson doesn't always have the answers, but there is some value in his
raising the questions. It behooves the state to continue looking into
ways to reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs, drug policies and laws.