STATE'S REFORMS FALL SHORT, ANTI-DRUG GROUP SAYS

Gov. Gary Johnson has received national - and controversial - recognition
as a lone political proponent of drug reform, once declaring in a Playboy
interview that the war on drugs was a "mindboggling failure."

But such notoriety has not translated into serious drug reform in New
Mexico, where fears over Johnson's one-time advocacy for legalizing
marijuana and heroin have overshadowed more measured attempts at dealing
with the state's substance abuse issues.

With just three days to go in this year's legislative session - Johnson's
last before he leaves office - few are convinced that the governor's
radical rhetoric will result in anything more than meager reforms and
troubling misunderstandings.

"We've heard from families; we've heard the talk that children perceive the
governor's message as being that drugs are not a danger and that it's OK to
do drugs," said Darren White, who heads a new anti-drug group called
Protect New Mexico.

Johnson, who admits using drugs earlier in life, has softened his pitch
when it comes to legalizing heroin. His message now focuses on "harm
reduction" measures dealing with drug use.

Still, Johnson and the state have done little to provide on-demand,
affordable drug rehabilitation programs.

This session, with the help of former Democratic Gov. Toney Anaya,
Republican Johnson has offered six drug reform measures.

Proponents say the bills are a way to save the already struggling state
money. Sending nonviolent drug offenders into treatment instead of prison,
they argue, saves the state money by reducing the prison population.

But White's group says the state has not gone far enough to help those
already addicted to drugs.

"The bottom line is that this state is dangerously deficient in treatment
facilities not only for those who are charged with crimes but those who
want to voluntarily deal with their addictions," he said. "Any policy
reform should focus on reducing the demand for drugs, and one of the most
efficient ways to do that is by treatment."

One of the Johnson-backed bills - to legalize the medical use of marijuana
for patients with serious or terminal illnesses - was tabled early in the
30-day session.

The other five:

Give judges more flexibility to sentence nonviolent drug offenders to
treatment programs rather than prison.

White said the wording of the bill actually eliminates such flexibility and
merely indicates that an offender "may" be referred to a treatment program.

Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, allowing fines
rather than jail time for having an ounce or less.

Allow law enforcement agents to seize property used in certain drug crimes
only after a criminal conviction.

Allow drug offenders who have served their sentences to be eligible for
federal welfare assistance such as food stamps.

Change the "habitual offender" law to give judges more discretion in
sentencing felons rather than adhering to mandatory sentencing times.