GOV: CITIZENS SHOULD CALL LEGISLATORS

Gov. Gary Johnson may have agreed to temper his push to legalize drugs at
least through the upcoming legislative session, but on Sunday he urged
others to take up the cause.

At a drug forum at the University of New Mexico School of Law in
Albuquerque, Johnson told an enthusiastic crowd of about 200 people to call
their legislators and tell them the drug issue is important. "Tell your
legislator that you do believe that the discussion is worthwhile and, if
you believe it, that there are valid points raised to legalization being a
valid alternative," said Johnson, who contends the war on drugs has been a
miserable failure.

"I do know that legislators, when they get three or four phone calls on any
given issue, 'The phone is ringing off the wall, and everybody is for X,'
'' Johnson said. "So if you can call your legislator, if you can manage 15
phone calls to your legislator, the house is coming down."

On Friday, at the urging of fellow Republicans, Johnson agreed to tone down
his crusade to legalize drugs at least through the upcoming 30-day
legislative session, which begins Jan. 18. The governor said, however, he
would honor commitments he had already made to debate the issue, including
Sunday's event.

Republicans, like Senate Minority Leader L. Skip Vernon, R-Albuquerque, had
complained that Johnson's focus on drugs was distracting from other issues,
such as cutting taxes and education reform.

"I don't want drugs, drug debate, drug discussion to overshadow the
upcoming legislative session," Johnson said in an interview Sunday. "I do
agree with Skip (Vernon) that we need to focus on the legislative session."

However, Johnson said he may propose legislation in the upcoming session
that would allow methadone users to get their fixes from pharmacies instead
of having to go to a clinic.

"I'm seeing if I can propose a bill or maybe we do it through regulation,"
Johnson said.

Johnson said he was disappointed that U.S. Attorney John Kelly, who opposes
drug legalization, did not take part in Sunday's drug forum as originally
scheduled. UNM law professor Rob Schwartz, who moderated the forum, said
Kelly "just couldn't make it." Kelly could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Kelly's absence meant the panel was rather one-sided with only Albuquerque
psychologist Mary Loescher speaking against legalizing drugs. The other
panelists were state Health Secretary Alex Valdez and public health
advocate Carol Miller of Ojo Sarco.

Miller, who ran for Congress last year as a Green Party candidate in New
Mexico's 3rd District, praised Johnson for being so outspoken on the drug
issue.

"He had the audacity to come out publicly in support of something without
doing 10 polls first," Miller said. "He's doing something he believes in,
and I think that's incredible."

Miller said she believes a holistic approach is needed to deal with drug
abuse. She said most people with serious drug or alcohol addictions also
have some kind of mental health problem.

"The money that we spend on this hopeless, sad war on the poor could go for
education. It could go for universal health care," Miller said.

Loescher said she disagrees with Johnson that legalizing drugs would lead
to a reduction in drug use. Johnson contends drug use would be reduced if
drugs were legalized because they would be strictly regulated and
controlled by the government.

"Government control (of drugs) does not reduce crime," Loescher said.
"Government-controlled doses assists people in keeping their addictions.
... A drug addict is more likely to act impulsively and violently, and it
does not matter where he got his drugs."

Loescher noted that countries like Great Britain and Holland, which have
legalized certain drugs, have much more homogeneous cultures than the
United States or New Mexico.

"To assume the same programs will work in New Mexico is very naive to say
the least," she said.

However, Loescher agreed with Johnson and the other panelists that more
drug-treatment programs are needed.

"In our state, we are sadly short of treatment facilities," Loescher said.

Valdez said he agrees with Johnson that the war on drugs has failed and
that money spent on enforcement should be redirected to drug treatment and
education programs.

"When we look at our rates of addiction, when we look at the rates of use,
we know our 'Just Say No,' has been a failure," Valdez said.