cannabisnews.com: State's Reforms Fall Short, Anti-Drug Group Says 





State's Reforms Fall Short, Anti-Drug Group Says 
Posted by FoM on February 11, 2002 at 17:38:58 PT
By Joline Gutierrez Krueger, Tribune Reporter
Source: Albuquerque Tribune
Gov. Gary Johnson has received national - and controversial - recognition as a lone political proponent of drug reform, once declaring in a Playboy interview that the war on drugs was a "mindboggling failure."But such notoriety has not translated into serious drug reform in New Mexico, where fears over Johnson's one-time advocacy for legalizing marijuana and heroin have overshadowed more measured attempts at dealing with the state's substance abuse issues.
With just three days to go in this year's legislative session - Johnson's last before he leaves office - few are convinced that the governor's radical rhetoric will result in anything more than meager reforms and troubling misunderstandings."We've heard from families; we've heard the talk that children perceive the governor's message as being that drugs are not a danger and that it's OK to do drugs," said Darren White, who heads a new anti-drug group called Protect New Mexico.Johnson, who admits using drugs earlier in life, has softened his pitch when it comes to legalizing heroin. His message now focuses on "harm reduction" measures dealing with drug use.Still, Johnson and the state have done little to provide on-demand, affordable drug rehabilitation programs.This session, with the help of former Democratic Gov. Toney Anaya, Republican Johnson has offered six drug reform measures.Proponents say the bills are a way to save the already struggling state money. Sending nonviolent drug offenders into treatment instead of prison, they argue, saves the state money by reducing the prison population.But White's group says the state has not gone far enough to help those already addicted to drugs."The bottom line is that this state is dangerously deficient in treatment facilities not only for those who are charged with crimes but those who want to voluntarily deal with their addictions," he said. "Any policy reform should focus on reducing the demand for drugs, and one of the most efficient ways to do that is by treatment."One of the Johnson-backed bills - to legalize the medical use of marijuana for patients with serious or terminal illnesses - was tabled early in the 30-day session.The other five:Give judges more flexibility to sentence nonviolent drug offenders to treatment programs rather than prison.White said the wording of the bill actually eliminates such flexibility and merely indicates that an offender "may" be referred to a treatment program.Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, allowing fines rather than jail time for having an ounce or less.Allow law enforcement agents to seize property used in certain drug crimes only after a criminal conviction.Allow drug offenders who have served their sentences to be eligible for federal welfare assistance such as food stamps.Change the "habitual offender" law to give judges more discretion in sentencing felons rather than adhering to mandatory sentencing times.Source: Albuquerque Tribune (NM)Author: Joline Gutierrez Krueger, Tribune ReporterPublished: February 11, 2002Copyright: 2002 The Albuquerque TribuneContact: letters abqtrib.comWebsite: http://www.abqtrib.com/Related Articles:Medicinal Marijuana Bill Dies in Committee http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11966.shtmlMedical Marijuana Dies in Senate Panelhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11965.shtmlRepublicans Feud Over Drug-Reform Legislationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11930.shtml 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #5 posted by SoberStoner on February 12, 2002 at 08:45:17 PT:
dude..put down the pipe..
That site is a joke..read the disclaimer at the link at the bottomOtherwise, i hear canada is really nice:)
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by st1r_dude on February 12, 2002 at 06:41:23 PT:
FoM - CHECK THIS OUT !!!
oh my goodness, i can't tell if i should laugh or SCREAM !!! read all the entries...what a schpeel.http://www.whitehouse.org/initiatives/patriot/that's it - i'm outta here...anybody got any suggestions for another country for residence ???st1r dude
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by goneposthole on February 12, 2002 at 04:46:45 PT
habitual offender
The only 'habitual offender' I can think of is the DEA!
Strong as an ox, and dumb as one, too.In life, across the board, in all living organisms, the female of the species is always the strongest.The female adult phenotype of cannabis will bring down that big dumb ox called the DEA.When it comes to adult humans, always refer to them as men and women, never female and male. It is highly unethical to do so.Writing a dangling participle, the sentence written has improper structure.L-eagle eyes
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by DdC on February 11, 2002 at 19:23:44 PT
As for the English Terrorist's Tyrants!!!
Lets see what we can do about lessening the oppressive conditions befalling the dye producing animals of the planet, and until an abundant hemp or recycled paper market is established removing trees from the market as obsolete. This despotic egotistic language one upmanship is killing the planet and we must curtail its wicked heathern ways!!!Each through and borough, brought or thought or though or cough or draught or laugh... takes longer sentences, meaning longer paragraphs and more bytes here represent trees in th physical writing world, dead trees covered in fossil fuel plastic many times over, requiring very poor gas milage vehicles to make extra trips carrying the extra dead tree rolls of paper, and bottles of ink. Even plant ink cultivated with crude oil pesticides and herbicides and fertalizers raising the International Corporatist profits and taxes while burdeoning an overburdeoned eco-system. Wars fought protecting the crude plastic using the dead tree paper and even more gas hog vehicles of mass destruction. Years of warning has lessened this oppression with words like potatoe (poughtoughtough) and thruway but we must do better. 
Legalize ganja and Universal Slang for World Peace. ¶8)
Peace, Love and Liberty
DdCJamaican Pot Paradise
http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2101.html
ganJamaica! 
http://boards.marihemp.com/boards/politics/media/38/38666.gifC.N.O.A. D.E.A.th Sale
http://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/38/38984.gif
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 11, 2002 at 18:49:18 PT
Liar
"We've heard from families; we've heard the talk that children perceive the governor's message as being that drugs are not a danger and that it's OK to do drugs," said Darren White, who heads a new anti-drug group called Protect New Mexico.I haven't found anyone in the reform movement interested in giving children drugs of any kind.
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment