Pubdate: Mon, 04 Oct 1999
Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI)
Copyright: 1999 Honolulu Star-Bulletin
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Author: Matt Kelley, AP

GOVERNOR SLAMS 'LIES' IN DRUG WAR

(Washington) -- Not only has the war on drugs been a multibillion-dollar
failure, but it has unjustifiably thrown thousands of people in prison
while lying about the dangers of marijuana, New Mexico's governor said
today.

Gov. Gary Johnson, a Republican, kicked off a visit to the nation's
capital by meeting with leaders of a college student group that shares
his goal of drug legalization. He is the country's highest-ranking
elected official to advocate legalizing such drugs as cocaine, heroin
and marijuana.

After swimming two miles and jogging five miles for his morning
workout, then bounding up four flights of stairs to avoid a sluggish
elevator at George Washington University, Johnson told the students
that drugs are a bad choice, but people should be allowed to decide
for themselves whether to make it.

``I hate to say it, but the majority of people who use drugs use them
responsibly,'' Johnson told members of Students for a Sensible Drug
Policy. ``They choose when to do it. They do them at home. It's not a
financial burden.''

White House drug policy director Barry McCaffrey and other officials
excoriated Johnson last week after he became the first governor to
support legalization.

``His pro-drug message runs in the face of all the hard work of
millions of parents, teachers, health professionals, community
leaders, coaches and clergy who are working so hard to stem drug
use,'' McCaffrey said Friday.

Johnson found a friendlier audience in the students. ``Students are
experts on drug use,'' said Kris Lotlikar, a leader of the group.
``We're the children that this war was supposed to protect. But I have
yet to talk to any student who came from a drug-free high school. To
me, that's a failed policy.''

Johnson spoke of his drug use as a young man and his decision years
ago to forgo not only drugs but alcohol and even Coca-Cola in favor of
training for triathlons.  ``I was somebody who smoked marijuana in
college, he said.

``I made a bad choice, but even then it wasn't a choice that I felt
should have landed me in jail.''

Johnson said he supports legalization of drugs, but under strict
control of sales and use and with significant taxation. Under a
legalization scheme, Johnson said, drugs such as marijuana, heroin and
cocaine should not be available to anyone under 21, public drug use
should be banned and penalties should be increased for crimes such as
driving under the influence.

Current drug policy focuses too heavily on imprisoning people while
allowing illegal drug cartels to rake in billions of dollars, Johnson
said. Anti-drug education efforts amount to lies:

``You're brought up learning that drugs make you crazy,'' Johnson
said. ``Then you do marijuana for the first time, and it's not so bad.
It's kind of cool. That's when kids find out it's been a lie.''

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