DRUG REVAMP GETS WARY RECEPTION

Some legislators say treatment and other issues need to be dealt with
first. But one legislator has agreed to sponsor a broadened medical
marijuana law.

SANTA FE -- Legislators aren't exactly jumping on the bandwagon of
drug policy reform that Gov. Gary Johnson is enthusiastically leading.

But they aren't altogether dismissing Johnson's ideas.

Rep. Joe Thompson, an Albuquerque Republican and former Johnson
administration member, said he has agreed to carry legislation for
Johnson that would change the state's medical marijuana law.

The changes would allow more patients to use the drug to help treat
the effects of some diseases and illness.

Thompson said he thinks at least that idea may have some appeal when
the Legislature meets starting Jan. 16 for its 60-day session.

"I really think from visiting with colleagues on both sides of the
aisle on medical marijuana that they trust licensed and trained
medical professionals to make these decision with their patients,"
Thompson said.

However, Thompson said he is not sure how the rest of the Republican
governor's drug agenda will play out in a leery Legislature.

"I don't know," Thompson said. "I will be really interested in seeing
how it is received by everyone after hearing the testimony."

Johnson said Friday that his administration is drafting eight
legislative bills that deal with changing the state's drug policies.
The policies were recommended this week by the Governor's Drug Policy
Advisory Group.

The most controversial proposal Johnson wants considered is a change
in New Mexico law to decriminalize the possession and use of 1 ounce
or less of marijuana.

Johnson said he will also send bills to the Legislature to allow
needle-exchange programs at pharmacies, not just clinics, and to
eliminate mandatory prison sentences for certain drug convictions.

Rep. Rick Miera, a licensed drug and alcohol-abuse counselor, said he
is reluctant to consider any of Johnson's ideas because, he said, of
the governor's refusal to pay for drug treatment programs in the past.

Miera said Johnson is only talking about treatment now in the context
of the Legislature agreeing to his other ideas like decriminalizing
marijuana use.

"I find this all to be window dressing, kind of like front-page news
with no substance," Miera, an Albuquerque Democrat, said of Johnson's
proposals.

"Right now, I have this morning a 16-year-old heroin user, and I
can't find a treatment program for him anywhere," Miera said. "Nobody
wants a 16-year-old.

"I just don't want to go near any of this drug reform until we have
in place well-funded treatment programs that will be sorely needed."

Johnson said he believes in a balanced approach to beefing up drug
prevention and treatment programs, along with reforming state drug
and criminal sentencing laws.

Johnson was reluctant to say how much new money should be spent on
expanding drug treatment until, he said, his budget officials come to
grips with the costs of more programs.

But he said he would fight efforts to spend new money without
adopting reform ideas.

He said he fears legislators will fund more drug courts and then stop there.

"If you just do drug courts and you don't do anything else, then
you're just piling on top of the status quo," Johnson said. "And it's
not going to be effective."

House Minority Leader Ted Hobbs said he recommended to Johnson that
he focus on drug treatment and education programs, rather than ideas
like decriminalization of drugs that has, he said, virtually no
support among Republicans.

"There are two or three points that made sense in those
recommendations," said Hobbs, an Albuquerque Republican. "But harm
reduction policies and giving sterile needles to people who are
violating the law, I just can't sign on to that.

"I also don't want to see the criminal justice sentencing reforms
that he wants. That really stands out to me as a problem."

Senate President Manny Aragon said in a statement Friday that
Johnson's ideas on drug reform will be considered only after the
governor works with legislators on other priorities, such as
improving schools, the health care system, economic development and
public safety.

"We hope the governor will cooperate with us to resolve these
problems quickly in the early part of the session," said Aragon, a
South Valley Democrat. "Once that's accomplished, we will be able to
look at his specific drug proposals."

A year ago, Johnson said he wouldn't call for the Legislature to
change the state drug laws.

He said a lot has changed since then, and he said he senses growing
political support for revamping drug laws. Johnson is in his last two
years in office.

"The reason I am here is because this does have a lot of support,"
Johnson said. "It has a whole bunch of support that I wouldn't have
dreamed that it would have had. So I am optimistic that this might
get accomplished."