DISCUSSION IS OVERDUE ON U.S. DRUG PROBLEM

Gov. Gary Johnson has once again convincingly demonstrated that he's neither
a politician nor someone stuck in conventional thinking. In his inimitable
fashion, he put out a call for honest talk about this country's war on drugs.

He points out that the so-called war on drugs has been a miserable failure.
And his suggestion that decriminalization of some drugs should be part of
the discussion is also worth consideration.

There's plenty of proof to support his first premise. According to state
Public Safety Secretary Darren White, the federal government spends $17
billion annually to fight drugs, yet only 5 to 15 percent of what comes into
the country is seized. These are dismal results considering the financial
investment made to correct the problem.

Studies and statistics over the years have indicated peaks and valleys of
use among different age groups, but overall consumption and its associated
problems remain constant.

Prisons are occupied by many petty drug users, while the big traffickers are
hard to find and prosecute. Additionally, existing laws are not equitable,
the most egregious disparity being the different mandatory sentences
established for crack cocaine and powder cocaine.

Johnson's suggestion that decriminalization of some drugs be part of the
discussion flies in the face of his own political party's position.
According to Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., there is no movement toward
decriminalizing at the federal level or within the GOP.

Johnson's proposal may not get beyond New Mexico's border, but he's right
that the war on drugs is a miserable failure, and a honest discussion of all
the aspects of the drug problem, including trafficking, consumption and
penalties, is long overdue.