GOV. SAYS E-MAILS SUPPORT DRUG IDEA

LAS CRUCES -- Electronic mail so far is running about 10 to 1 in favor
of Gov. Gary Johnson's suggestion that governments consider
decriminalizing some types of drug possession, the governor said
Wednesday during a Rotary Club luncheon here.

After a speech dedicated chiefly to school vouchers, the governor
repeated his assertion that the nation's so-called war on drugs has
been "a miserable failure."

For the first time, the governor elaborated by saying that changing
laws regarding marijuana possession would be a logical "first step,"
since marijuana is considered less addictive than harder drugs such as
cocaine and heroin.

"Common sense or logic would dictate that when you take this issue on,
when you talk about legalization or decriminalization, if you are
going to talk about that, you are going to talk about taking it in
steps, and certainly the first step would be marijuana," Johnson said
to a group of reporters. "I would postulate that's probably the least
dangerous of the identified narcotic drugs that we have."

But the governor emphasized that he was not advocating specific
changes in drug laws, just a public discussion of the issue.

In an evolving discussion that began last week when Johnson's talks
with Republican leaders about the subject leaked to the press, the
governor said he does not consider marijuana smokers criminals.

"All of us can make a list out of friends that we have that use drugs.
Are our friends criminals for using drugs? Yes, they are today given
the laws that we have," Johnson said Wednesday. "Should they be
criminals? Are they criminals? For the most part, no they are not."

The Governor's Office released a sample of 11 e-mails on the
controversial topic, eight of which were supportive of Johnson's
decision to raise the subject of decriminalization and three of which
were critical.

"Thank you for having the courage to speak the truth," wrote Larry
Reid. "I am not a user. Never have been. But enough is enough. Drug
prohibition has re-created the violence of the roaring '20s in our
streets. It is time to stop the insanity."

Albuquerquean Maureen Rule wrote: "Drug abuse is bad; the war against
drugs is worse. It is time we treat substance abuse (as) the health
issue it is rather than criminalizing it."

But Dennis Stein of Albuquerque criticized Johnson, saying the
governor's "passive acceptance" of drug use undermined the fight
against drugs.

"If you know people who are using drugs, it is up to you to do
something about it," Stein wrote. "Someone is making money off the
sale of illegal drugs, and unless you step to the plate to find out
who it is, you don't deserve to be in the position you now occupy."

In New Mexico, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana is a
petty misdemeanor with conviction resulting in a fine of up to $50, 15
days in jail or both. Possession of one to eight ounces of marijuana
is a misdemeanor with possible penalties of a $1,000 fine, up to one
year in jail, or both, Albuquerque attorney Steven Bunch said.

Bunch, president of the private, nonprofit New Mexico Drug Policy
Foundation, an educational group, said Johnson's contribution to the
drug debate so far has been to "mainstream" discussion of changing
policy. Now those who talk about changing drug laws will not be
immediately suspect, Bunch said.

"He (Johnson) has brought the issue to the public so that it is OK to
have this discussion in a rational and thoughtful manner," Bunch said.

Members of the New Mexico Drug Policy Foundation include three
attorneys, two doctors, retired state District Court Judge W.C.
"Woody" Smith and Albuquerque Metropolitan Court Judge Barbara Brown.