Pubdate: Sat, 06 Jan 2001
Source: Albuquerque Tribune (NM)
Copyright: 2001 The Albuquerque Tribune
Contact:  P.O. Drawer T, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109
Website: http://www.abqtrib.com/
Author: Gilbert Gallegos
Bookmark: Governor Gary Johnson http://www.mapinc.org/johnson.htm

DRUG REVAMP GETS WARY RECEPTION

Some legislators say treatment and other issues need to be dealt with 
first. But one legislator has agreed to sponsor a broadened medical 
marijuana law.

SANTA FE -- Legislators aren't exactly jumping on the bandwagon of 
drug policy reform that Gov. Gary Johnson is enthusiastically leading.

But they aren't altogether dismissing Johnson's ideas.

Rep. Joe Thompson, an Albuquerque Republican and former Johnson 
administration member, said he has agreed to carry legislation for 
Johnson that would change the state's medical marijuana law.

The changes would allow more patients to use the drug to help treat 
the effects of some diseases and illness.

Thompson said he thinks at least that idea may have some appeal when 
the Legislature meets starting Jan. 16 for its 60-day session.

"I really think from visiting with colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle on medical marijuana that they trust licensed and trained 
medical professionals to make these decision with their patients," 
Thompson said.

However, Thompson said he is not sure how the rest of the Republican 
governor's drug agenda will play out in a leery Legislature.

"I don't know," Thompson said. "I will be really interested in seeing 
how it is received by everyone after hearing the testimony."

Johnson said Friday that his administration is drafting eight 
legislative bills that deal with changing the state's drug policies. 
The policies were recommended this week by the Governor's Drug Policy 
Advisory Group.

The most controversial proposal Johnson wants considered is a change 
in New Mexico law to decriminalize the possession and use of 1 ounce 
or less of marijuana.

Johnson said he will also send bills to the Legislature to allow 
needle-exchange programs at pharmacies, not just clinics, and to 
eliminate mandatory prison sentences for certain drug convictions.

Rep. Rick Miera, a licensed drug and alcohol-abuse counselor, said he 
is reluctant to consider any of Johnson's ideas because, he said, of 
the governor's refusal to pay for drug treatment programs in the past.

Miera said Johnson is only talking about treatment now in the context 
of the Legislature agreeing to his other ideas like decriminalizing 
marijuana use.

"I find this all to be window dressing, kind of like front-page news 
with no substance," Miera, an Albuquerque Democrat, said of Johnson's 
proposals.

"Right now, I have this morning a 16-year-old heroin user, and I 
can't find a treatment program for him anywhere," Miera said. "Nobody 
wants a 16-year-old.

"I just don't want to go near any of this drug reform until we have 
in place well-funded treatment programs that will be sorely needed."

Johnson said he believes in a balanced approach to beefing up drug 
prevention and treatment programs, along with reforming state drug 
and criminal sentencing laws.

Johnson was reluctant to say how much new money should be spent on 
expanding drug treatment until, he said, his budget officials come to 
grips with the costs of more programs.

But he said he would fight efforts to spend new money without 
adopting reform ideas.

He said he fears legislators will fund more drug courts and then stop there.

"If you just do drug courts and you don't do anything else, then 
you're just piling on top of the status quo," Johnson said. "And it's 
not going to be effective."

House Minority Leader Ted Hobbs said he recommended to Johnson that 
he focus on drug treatment and education programs, rather than ideas 
like decriminalization of drugs that has, he said, virtually no 
support among Republicans.

"There are two or three points that made sense in those 
recommendations," said Hobbs, an Albuquerque Republican. "But harm 
reduction policies and giving sterile needles to people who are 
violating the law, I just can't sign on to that.

"I also don't want to see the criminal justice sentencing reforms 
that he wants. That really stands out to me as a problem."

Senate President Manny Aragon said in a statement Friday that 
Johnson's ideas on drug reform will be considered only after the 
governor works with legislators on other priorities, such as 
improving schools, the health care system, economic development and 
public safety.

"We hope the governor will cooperate with us to resolve these 
problems quickly in the early part of the session," said Aragon, a 
South Valley Democrat. "Once that's accomplished, we will be able to 
look at his specific drug proposals."

A year ago, Johnson said he wouldn't call for the Legislature to 
change the state drug laws.

He said a lot has changed since then, and he said he senses growing 
political support for revamping drug laws. Johnson is in his last two 
years in office.

"The reason I am here is because this does have a lot of support," 
Johnson said. "It has a whole bunch of support that I wouldn't have 
dreamed that it would have had. So I am optimistic that this might 
get accomplished."
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MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer