GOPER'S GOT DRUG STATS BUT NO EMOTION

When it comes to tossing around statistics, Gary Johnson, the
conservative Republican governor of New Mexico, is terrific.

He can -- and does -- spiel off numbers and percentages as casually as
most folk have the most inane of conversations.

Indeed, were we a society dominated by statistics anywhere near to the
degree many think we are, marijuana, for sure, and quite possibly
other drugs would be legalized as soon as lawmakers heard Johnson's
numbers and the conclusions he draws from them.

But, despite the strength and conviction of Johnson's conclusions and
beliefs about drugs, specifically marijuana, those conclusions and
beliefs are remarkably dispassionate.

For example, on a recent visit here, he displayed far more emotion
speaking about the triathlon in which he had participated the day
before than he did in advocating the legalization of marijuana.

His dispassion also is seen in his contention there is no reason to
fear marijuana use will lead to anything else. Marijuana is not a
gateway drug, he maintains. He asserts only one out of every 105 who
have smoked marijuana is hooked on cocaine.

Though Johnson readily acknowledges he has smoked his share of the
weed along the way, he insists, quite convincingly, it is an activity
in which he no longer would participate -- no matter how legal it may
be.

Nor, the governor insists, were it up to him, would minors be allowed
to use it. It is this insistence that seems almost strange coming from
Johnson, who is rather persuasive when he cites his great bunch of
statistics in advocating its legalization.

For example, he contends 90 percent of the problems associated with
drugs are prohibition-related -- not a product of use. Furthermore, he
dismisses out of hand the fairly common belief that drugs are more
dangerous than most any vice, and declares in a voice that resembles
those produced by computers:

Annually, 400,000 die from tobacco, 150,00 from alcohol and 3,000 from
cocaine. This, his manner suggests, is one fine example of why drugs
aren't nearly as bad as most Americans -- notably fellow politicians
- -- fear they are.

As for Johnson and his own politics, it is a dead cinch that many who
consider themselves conservative Republicans and have read this far
are outraged at the designation of Johnson as being a member of their
ranks.

Clearly, however, if a conservative Republican is one who believes
less government is better government, Johnson demonstrated his
conservative GOPer identity in his campaign platforms and in what he
has achieved as the first New Mexico governor to win a consecutive
four-year term.

As noted in The Almanac of American Politics 2000: "In his first term,
Johnson faced bitter opposition from Democratic legislative leaders.
He vetoed 388 bills, cut the state budget unilaterally, reduced [the]
state work force by 1,200 and limited state budget growth to 4.2
percent a year, down from nearly 10 percent in the previous decade.
... He did get the 6-cent gas tax repealed and claimed to reduce taxes
by $106 million a year. In 1998, he cut the top personal income tax
rate, instituted a low income tax rebate, and a gross receipts tax cut
that included prescription drugs."

In seeking his second term, he took what the Almanac describes as
"some nervy stands," such as suggesting state university tuitions
might be raised, opposing laws directed at hate crimes and favoring
concealed weapons laws. Nothing he has done in his second term in any
way indicates he is less conservative than he was in his first term.

In fact, one of the points Johnson stresses in his talk about
marijuana is economics.

Out of 1.6 million arrests, half were for marijuana, he says,
contending the law enforcement arm of government can be much more
efficiently used if marijuana were legalized. Noting the tie between
marijuana and crime, Johnson says the problem with marijuana today is
it sells for a retail price higher than that of gold.

Once it becomes legal -- which he mourns may be as long as 80 years --
the price of marijuana would be greatly reduced and police officers,
he believes, will be able "to enforce a lot of laws."

While he wants the use of marijuana legalized, Johnson opposes a like
action for the marketing of the drug and is adamant there should be no
advertising of it. In fact, he says, what needs advertising is the
message, "Don't do drugs."

Clearly, when it comes to drugs, Johnson fits no stereotypes. Many
would insist that description also applies to Johnson and politics.