Pubdate: Mon, 11 Jun 2001
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2001 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487

U.S., MEXICO GOVERNORS TO STUDY DRUG TRAFFICKING AS HEALTH ISSUE

TAMPICO, Mexico (AP) -- U.S. and Mexican border governors agreed Friday to 
study drug trafficking as a health issue and not just a crime, a step 
hailed by the New Mexico governor who favors legalizing marijuana and 
ending the war on drugs.

On the last day of the 19th annual Border Governors Conference in the Gulf 
of Mexico port of Tampico, officials announced they would form a commission 
of scholars from the 10 U.S. and Mexican states along the border to study 
the idea of addressing drug smuggling from a public health perspective. 
Mexican governors proposed the idea, which was praised by New Mexico Gov. 
Gary E. Johnson.

The conference includes California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in the 
U.S. and Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and 
Tamaulipas in Mexico. California Gov. Gray Davis dropped out at the last 
moment to deal with his state's energy crisis.

Gov. Johnson, a two-term Republican, has become one of the U.S.'s leading 
proponents of the legalization of marijuana. A former drug user himself, he 
believes drug use is a health problem, not a crime, and is pushing for 
state legislation to that effect.

He believes ending the prohibition on drugs would reduce violence, 
corruption and many other problems in the border region.

"I couldn't be more excited about what transpired here," Gov. Johnson said 
Friday of the joint commission. "I happen to believe that this is the 
reason why we have a militarized border."

But while Mexican governors agreed to study the issue, Gov. Johnson 
acknowledged that they are far from agreeing to push for drugs to be 
legalized in their states. Nuevo Leon Gov. Fernando Canales and Baja 
California Gov. Alejandro Gonzalez said the world isn't ready to legalize 
drugs.

"I think the consensus was to give more attention to the health problems 
caused by drug trafficking," Gov. Gonzalez said. "But to be able to 
consider legalizing some of these drugs, such as marijuana, one country or 
one region can't do it when it is a problem of many countries."

Chihuahua Gov. Patricio Martinez said he would support legalization of 
certain drugs to dilute the power of criminal groups that benefit from the 
black market.

"This should be studied, analyzed and looked at to see what the people want 
and what are the effects from a different perspective that considers not 
only their prohibition but also in given time their approval for medicinal 
purposes or for rehabilitation or for other reasons," Gov. Martinez said. 
"We need to study all aspects of drug use, especially marijuana."

In other matters, governors from both countries sought to spur growth of 
the huge cross-border economy and to solve such problems as immigration, 
water rights, energy needs and pollution.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D