cannabisnews.com: Nightline Appearance Kicks Off Drug Debate 





Nightline Appearance Kicks Off Drug Debate 
Posted by FoM on January 31, 2001 at 07:24:27 PT
By S.U. Mahesh, Journal Capitol Bureau
Source: Albuquerque Journal
None of Gov. Gary Johnson's proposed drug policy changes have been introduced so far during this legislative session, but the subject nonetheless triggered heated Senate debate Tuesday.  "We just had a warm-up without any bills being introduced," joked Lt. Gov. Walter Bradley, presiding over the Senate, while prodding lawmakers to move on with unfinished daily business.
Johnson has called the nation's "war on drugs" a failure and proposed policy changes aimed at prevention, education and treatment.  In New Mexico, the governor has called for decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, allowing certain patients to use pot for medical reasons and abolishing mandatory prison terms on repeat drug offenders, among other changes.  Johnson appeared Monday on ABC's "Nightline," a late-night, issue-oriented news show, and defended his drug proposals, including marijuana decriminalization and "harm reduction" strategies.  That appearance irked Sen. Manny Aragon, D-Albuquerque, who accused Johnson of airing "neglect and dirty laundry of New Mexico" before the national audience.  Aragon also charged that Johnson has proposed drug reforms but failed to allocate money for treatment, education and intervention programs in his executive budget.  He called upon Johnson to "stop playing games with these serious problems."  Sen. Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque, had his say next.  McSorley, who plans to sponsor the marijuana decriminalization and medical marijuana bills in the Senate, asked Johnson for $40 million for substance-abuse treatment programs.  With $40 million, McSorley said, "We can make a dent in this problem."  But Sen. Don Kidd, R-Carlsbad, countered that $40 million for substance-abuse treatment programs would have no effect unless it was put in a bank and drug addicts received monthly allowances to buy drugs "so they don't steal your TV."  Kidd said he would rather spend the money on educating children.  Dave Miller, the governor's legislative liaison, said later Tuesday that Johnson would propose spending $5 million for treatment of drug addicts as well as other programs, such as expanding methadone treatment for heroin addicts.  Miller said the administration was concerned that treatment money would be transformed into "political pork" if a large budget increase was approved and legislators were permitted to allocate the spending to specific projects benefiting their home areas.Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)Author: S.U. Mahesh, Journal Capitol BureauPublished: January 31, 2001Copyright: 2001 Albuquerque JournalAddress: P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103Contact: opinion abqjournal.comWebsite: http://www.abqjournal.com/ CannabisNews Articles - Governor Gary Johnsonhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=gary+johnson 
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Comment #3 posted by Mom on February 01, 2001 at 06:38:38 PT
Teach the Children
I am teaching my own children. I am teaching my children to beware of people in power and to keep them there as short a time as possible. Human's cannot handle power, ever.
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Comment #2 posted by observer on January 31, 2001 at 09:22:26 PT
drug addict ... steal your TV
But Sen. Don Kidd, R-Carlsbad, countered that $40 million for substance-abuse treatment programs would have no effect unless it was put in a bank and drug addicts received monthly allowances to buy drugs "so they don't steal your TV.". . . Ninety-nine out of a hundred boys between the ages of 10 and 17 who care before me charged with a crime have their fingers disfigured by yellow cigarette stains. -- New York City Magistrate on 'the crime producing properties of tobacco', c.1920Prolonged use of marihuana frequently develops a delirious rage which. . . sometimes leads to high crimes such as assault and murder. Hence marihuana has been called the 'killer drug.' The habitual use of this narcotic poison always causes a very marked deterioration and sometimes produces insanity. Hence marihuana is frequently called 'loco weed.' . . Marihuana often gives man the lust to kill unreasonably without motive. Many cases of assault, rape, robbery, and murder are traced to the use of marihuana. -- International Narcotic Education Association in conjunction with the Federal Narcotics Bureau, 1936http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/ticp.html 
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on January 31, 2001 at 08:02:20 PT:
Legislative Bigotry
"But Sen. Don Kidd, R-Carlsbad, countered that $40 million for substance-abuse treatment programs would have no effect unless it was put in a bank and drug addicts received monthly allowances to buy drugs "so they don't steal your TV."Such overwhelming compassion and insight from our politicians! The public should be aware that methadone costs next to nothing. Savings from not incarcerating drug users should more than offset costs of administering the various programs. It can work, but will be difficult in the face of such provincial attitudes.
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