U. NEW MEXICO DRUG FORUM DRAWS EMBATTLED GOVERNOR

New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has stirred controversy in recent months for
his stance promoting drug legalization, drawing fire from law enforcement
officials, including federal drug czar Barry McCaffrey.

Johnson maintains legalizing drugs is the best solution to what he says is
a national problem, because the drugs could be controlled, regulated and
taxed. Johnson was a featured panelist at a drug policy forum hosted by the
American Civil Liberties Union at the University of New Mexico School of
Law Sunday. Other panelists were Alex Valdez, New Mexico secretary of
health; Carol Miller, a public health consultant; and Mary Loescher, a
clinical psychologist.

"There are models which show that legalization of marijuana and heroin
works and reduces the harmful effects of drugs," Johnson said.

He said the United States spends $50 billion a year in the war on drugs,
yet arrests have risen and jails are full of people convicted on nonviolent
drug charges

Miller said possession of a small quantity of marijuana could bring a life
sentence in some states, while the average sentence for other crimes is 43
months.

Miller stressed the need to view the drug problem as a symptom of the lack
of hope and opportunities for those in lower economic classes.

"The money spent on this war could go for education," she said.

The education program in the war on drugs is misleading, Johnson said,
because children who have seen messages such as "This is your brain on
drugs," know people who don't go crazy or lose all motivation when they
experiment with marijuana. People try it and find out it's not as bad as it
was portrayed. he said.

"So they try the harder drugs," Johnson said. "Let's be honest about the
possible effects of drugs."

The health consequences of tobacco and alcohol far exceed those of cocaine
or heroin, Johnson said.

"From an informal poll of doctors, they tell me that 80 percent of the
problems they see are related to alcohol and tobacco," he said.

Valdez commended Johnson's harm-reduction model. "Let us educate and train
ourselves so we can think through a sound national policy," he said. Only
10 percent of drugs coming into the country are stopped at the border,
Valdez said.

The general consensus of the panel was to focus more on treatment and
demand reduction, rather than interdiction.

Loescher, who disagreed with Johnson's legalization scenario, says she
favors alternative sentencing, including rehabilitation programs. She said
most drug users aren't good employees, and that it's difficult to get them
involved in their children's education.

Johnson concedes that drug legalization probably won't happen in New Mexico
because federal policies would have to be changed.

De facto legislation could be made in New Mexico, except "the Legislature
hasn't given us the initiatives to where the public could come forward with
this," Miller said.

Sen. Skip Vernon, R-Bernalillo, said there is no support for the idea in
the state Legislature. Johnson was questioned during the forum about how he
reconciles drug legalization with private prisons, which make a profit by
being full.

"I'm a cost-benefit analysis person," he said. "These prisons provide the
same services for less money. If they make a profit, good for them."

Johnson said he plans to tone down his legalization stance going into the
election, in response to requests from other Republicans. Darren White,
Johnson's former secretary for public safety, resigned over the issue.

Alfred Creecy, a first-year law student, said he is glad Johnson questioned
current drug policy. "He's stirring up talk, that's the important thing,"
he said. "I know many people who use drugs responsibly, including some
professors. I'm against drugs, but I don't think we ought to disenfranchise
the poor by making drugs a felony."

The forum, moderated by law professor Robert Schwartz, took place
immediately after a five-kilometer run sponsored by the New Mexico AIDS
Brigade, an organization that provides needle exchanges to ensure that drug
addicts use clean needles.

Tim Canova, a law professor at UNM, said he met with the governor to talk
about doing a run. Molly Schmidt-Nowara, president of the Student ACLU,
added the idea of a drug forum. "The event was put together by a group of
people with little money and varied perspectives," Canova said.