LEGISLATORS PUSHING WRONG MESSAGE

I am shocked that we would have legislators who want to legalize drugs. As
a law enforcement officer, I have worked in narcotics along with street
patrol and strongly believe in the war on drugs. I have seen the
devastating effects drugs have on the community up close and personal.

As an undercover officer, I've seen parents smoke marijuana in front of
newborn and young children. That teaches the children that it is all right
to smoke marijuana, not go to school and to lead a life like their parents.
"It is just a marijuana cigarette. It is harmless." I wish marijuana was
just harmless. Legislators should see first-hand the effects marijuana and
other drugs have on people and their families.

I have spoken to hundreds of drug addicts, with many knowing I was a law
enforcement officer and many not knowing that I was one. All said that they
started by smoking harmless marijuana and climbed up the drug ladder to
harder and meaner drugs.

Does that mean we should legalize marijuana and hear people say that it
will only be for adults? Adults and parents buy alcohol for teenagers. They
will do it with marijuana, too.

There is a TV commercial saying the state has spent $43 million fighting
the war on drugs and they show a male wanting to know where that money went.

This is not very much when you consider in New Mexico alone the drug trade
brings in billions of dollars a year and tears apart thousands of lives.
The commercial says the jails are getting overpopulated with drug
offenders. They forgot to mention that those offenders are drug traffickers
trying to sell drugs to children. ...

Legislators who want to legalize drugs should change their efforts to get
more programs to help the drug user instead of saying it is all right to do it.

There are not enough treatment centers in New Mexico to help these people
and educate the children. The waiting lists at treatment centers are long
and take several months. ...

Gov. Gary Johnson needs a reality check in the game of life and should come
down and look at these addicts; his way of thinking may change.

ANDREW M. ORTIZ

Albuquerque