WASHINGTON - New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson told activists and scholars
Tuesday that the government should regulate narcotics but not punish those
who abuse them.

The maverick Republican, whose stance on legalizing drugs has angered
lawmakers, spoke at a conference on national drug policies at the Cato
Institute, a libertarian think tank here. Johnson said legalization remains
a viable alternative to a federal program that has spent billions but done
little to stem drug use. It was his most detailed explanation yet of how
legalization of drugs might work.

''For the amount of money we're putting into the war on drugs, I suggest
it's an absolute failure,'' Johnson said. ''Make drugs a controlled
substance like alcohol ... legalize it, control it, regulate it, tax it. If
you legalize it, we might actually have a healthier society.''

Johnson's remarks only stoked the controversy that has enveloped him since
he began calling this summer for a national dialogue on drug policy that
included the ideas of legalizing or decriminalizing drugs.

Last week, he took an even bolder stance, saying he supported legalizing
illicit drugs. And though Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura has also said the
government should regulate illegal drugs, Johnson is the highest ranking
elected official to push for such a strategy on a national level.

Barry McCaffrey, President Clinton's drug czar and a retired general, said
in a statement Tuesday that Johnson's ideas are misguided. He plans to
speak Thursday in Albuquerque in opposition to Johnson's drug plan.

''Whether you call it legalization, decriminalization or drug policy
reform,'' he said, ''the bottom line is that the agenda espoused by people
like Gov. Johnson would put more drugs into the hands of our children and
make drugs more available on our nation's streets.''

The federal Office of National Drug Control Policy contends that policies
are working. The number of people using cocaine dropped 69% from 1983 to
1998. And the number of youths using cocaine dropped 13% between 1997 and
1998, according to Bob Weiner, a spokesman for McCaffrey.

But Johnson counters that federal policy favors prosecution over
rehabilitation. He says legalizing any drug, such as heroin and cocaine,
would probably lead to a decline in use and abuse because once regulated,
drugs would be harder to get.

Johnson suggested a host of new laws that would accompany a policy of
legalization, such as the prohibition of drug sales to people under 21 and
a provision that would allow employers to issue drug tests and fire an
employee caught using narcotics on the job.

Driving or committing a crime under the influence of drugs could lead to
stiffer punishments, he said, the same way using a gun or driving drunk
bring harsher penalties.

Johnson's views on drugs have made headlines before. During his first
gubernatorial campaign in 1994, Johnson acknowledged that he used marijuana
and cocaine while he was a student at the University of New Mexico. But the
46-year-old triathlete says he didn't touch drugs after college and has not
even had a drink in the last 12 years.

''I'm not pro-drug ... I stopped because it is a handicap,'' he said. But
he said that if he and his friends had been caught, they would not have
deserved a prison term. ''I don't think we can continue to lock up America
because of bad choices.''

Johnson admits that it is doubtful any drug stronger than marijuana will be
legalized in the near future. Six western states and the District of
Columbia have approved initiatives legalizing marijuana for medical use.

Johnson says he has no plans to introduce drug legalization laws in New
Mexico because ''it would take federal legislation'' to change the system.