cannabisnews.com: Governor Touts Legalizing Drugs Again Governor Touts Legalizing Drugs Again Posted by FoM on March 23, 2000 at 11:52:08 PT The Associated Press Source: ABQjournal Gov. Gary Johnson has renewed his push to legalize marijuana and heroin. "To me, should we be putting someone in jail for doing something in the privacy of their home that is arguably doing only harm to themselves and can be considered a mistake?" the governor told a group of San Juan College students Wednesday. "I'm not advocating doing drugs or alcohol or even sugar. But what we're doing in this country is bordering on insanity." Johnson, who has repeatedly called the nation's war on drugs a failure, began pushing for drug legalization last summer, contending it would cut down on crime and drug-related health problems. But his drug-legalization efforts came under increasing criticism from New Mexico Democrats and Republicans alike, and he cooled the talk during the 2000 legislative session, which ended Feb. 17. Johnson told the college audience that legalizing marijuana and heroin and regulating them in much the same way that alcohol is regulated would keep the United States from having to allocate resources to enforce drug laws that he says don't work. Johnson also said most problems associated with drugs are due to prohibition. Last year, he said, 450,000 people died from tobacco-related health problems, 150,000 died of the health consequences of alcohol and 100,000 people died from prescription drugs. "How many people died from cocaine and heroin during that same period of time? Three-thousand. Where's the bogey man there?" he said. Johnson's drug legalization effort led to a January rally at the state Capitol in Santa Fe by anti-drug protesters — many from Rio Arriba County, which has the highest drug-related death rate in the nation. Anti-drug demonstrators said legalizing and commercializing illicit drugs will create an industry targeting young people, encouraging lifelong addiction. A poll conducted last week for the Albuquerque Journal found more than two-thirds of the 408 registered voters questioned felt Johnson's push to legalize marijuana and heroin was a bad idea. The poll also found his approval rating dropped nearly 20 percent in the past year, from 54 percent to 35 percent. It was the first time since Johnson took office in 1995 that more people disapproved of his job performance than approved. Farmington: Published: Thursday, March 23, 2000Copyright © 1997 - 2000 Albuquerque JournalJohnson's Numbers Nose-Dive http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5158.shtmlCannabisNews Articles On Governor Gary Johnson:http://www.ussc.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/search?type=all&query=cannabisnews++Gary+Johnson Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #12 posted by Katie Gray on May 21, 2001 at 09:46:07 PT Drugs I think that people should only be allowed to use drugs when dieing like for cancer and stuff. Drugs are bad for the body and it can kill you.Drugs should stay outlawed except for a cancer paitient. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by ass on March 16, 2001 at 11:19:15 PT you suck SUCK MY FAT DICK PLEASE [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by WillLee on February 28, 2001 at 09:32:54 PT: []D[][]V[][]D yeah right on [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Will on February 28, 2001 at 09:30:58 PT: Marijuana use One time, i was smokin it up behind a popular movie theater, when a security guard saw our ash and chased us. I think this is insane. I wasn't hurting any one but myself, i wasnt goin to drive afterward anyways. I think this is crazy. Legalize it now [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Dankhank on March 24, 2000 at 14:03:46 PT: gradual? The time for gradual is over ...It is time to get angry ... and active ...Two million locked up already ...Get active ... Cures-not-wars/Millenium Marijuana March [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Highlander on March 24, 2000 at 13:15:25 PT This is just another way to kill marijuana decrim. This is just another way to kill marijuana legalization. Nobody ever will legalize heroin. Marijuana has nothing to do with heroin as most of us know, it's not even close. Process of marijuana legalization should be gradual. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Jason on March 23, 2000 at 22:36:52 PT I wonder if any of this will make sense. Legalization will not happen. In your opinion, what does capitalism thrive on? The ignorant masses of America will inevitably become communal addicts. Do the sheep have enough self-control? Competition is any patriotic American's motive. Having the sheep on smack won't help the economy compete with foreign nations. God bless America. God bless competition. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Doc-Hawk on March 23, 2000 at 19:29:10 PT: Johnson keeps telling the Truth! Gov. Johnson's Web page is: http://www.governor.state.nm.us/ . It has his views UP FRONT!!!!! with links to his policy and speeches on legalization.His contact page is: http://164.64.43.1/Constituent%20Serv/Contact%20form.htm .His old email address is dead - was gov gov.state.nm.us .Doc Johnson: Public Drug Discussion Fruitless [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Rainbow on March 23, 2000 at 17:11:05 PT Money Actually it is a money thing. The news media will lose the sensational articles that are derived from the Drug War.So it is their best interests to denigrate the governor. So much for the idea that newpapers provide news. They have to create it and this is one way. Create and push controversy and make sure people think of him as the bad boy.Otherwise if marijuana is legal they have fewer items to report and whine about.It is a money game pure and simple.CheersRainbow [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Tim Stone on March 23, 2000 at 14:14:26 PT Let us praise therefore... Three cheers and a tiger for the guv. getting back into the fray, if just to assert that he hasn't been cowed by the savage local and national attempts to demonize and silence him. This sort of political courage is as rare as it is commendable. I'm struck by the "ABQ"'s characterization of Johnson's position as, "contending it would cut down on crime and drug-related health problems." I suppose at this point the media still feel compelled to pretend that Al Copone killed people because he was drunk, not because alcohol was illegal. I suspect the media are lagging behind the populace, who increasingly know Al Copone was sober and killed because alcohol was illegal and Johnson's position is not unreasonable. Funny bunch, the media. They do seem to be herd animals. As long as you're writing pretty much the same story, with more or less the same spin and underlying assumptions, given buzz-words and phrases as most of your professional associates, you're safe. If you deviate from the herd instinct, the nonce novella plot, then you may win a Pulitzer, or you may be ostracized by your peers and fired by your editor. For instance, if you write an article on Johnson's position and instead of using the stock phrase "war on drugs" you insert the phrase, "war on drug users," your editor will delete the phrase and take you off the case as being non-objective and unprofessional. So the safe thing in reporting is always to follow the herd instinct and stick with the existing script and language use. And the narks have controlled the herd script since the '20s. Never mention the word "prohibition," because we know from alcohol Prohibition in the 20s that prohibition doesn't work. The media script is that "drugs are different," so drug prohibition isn't really drug prohibition. "observer" has some wonderful related comments below. As for Johnson's purportedly plummeting approval numbers, he's not up for reelection, so is free of poll inhibition, bless his courageous heart. It's hard to tell how much of the fall-off in his numbers is due to his overt support of drug policy change, and how much might be due to other reasons. F'rinstance: I'm down on you not because of your position, but because you're making our state look bad nationally. Or, I'm down on you not because of your position, but because I think you should get off the national stage and just do your state job, which you're neglecting with all this apparent national grandstanding. Good on Johnson for again raising the topic. He may even help force this two-ton-elephant-in-the-living-room-that-everybody's-trying-to-ignore onto the stage as a legit issue for debate during the coming election cycle. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by observer on March 23, 2000 at 13:22:22 PT Propaganda Peddlers at the ABQjournal > Gov. Gary Johnson has renewed his push to legalize marijuana and heroin. . . . Johnson's push to legalize marijuana and heroin . . .Note that the ABQJournal, http://www.ussc.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/search?type=all&query=cannabisnews+ABQJournal+Johnson A longtime critic of Gov Johnson's policy to restore traditional freedoms to American adults, feels it necessary to always lump together "marijuana and heroin" as if Johnson suggested treating both the same (which he didn't do), in order to get the negative response on the "survey" that the ABQJournal wanted to get.Note also use the propagandistic way ABQJournal uses the verb "push" in relation to Johnson's desire to debate the nation's drug policies.push -- (verb) 3.b. "to engage in the illicit sale of (narcotics)"The ABQJournal does this deliberately as a (propaganda) transfer technique: the ABQJournal editors wish to use the "narcotics" dealer connotations of the verb "push" to ridicule and discredit Johnson.Above, in just one story:"his push to legalize marijuana and heroin.""began pushing for drug legalization""Johnson's push to legalize marijuana and heroin"Compare this with these other ABQJournal pieces:http://www.ussc.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/search?type=all&query=cannabisnews+ABQJournal+Johnson+pushTell me this isn't deliberate...ABQJournal Nov 2, 1999"Johnson, continuing his push to make drugs legal""McCaffrey ... argued that Johnson's push to legalization (sic) drugs"ABQJournal Aug 25, 1999"to push for a national debate on drug policies"ABQJournal Nov 20, 1999"Governor To Downplay Drug Legalization Push""his push to legalize drugs, such as heroin and marijuana"ABQJournal Nov 22, 1999"agreed to temper his push to legalize drugs"ABQJournal Nov 23, 1999"to tone down his push to legalize drugs"ABQJournal Dec 9, 1999"Gov. Gary Johnson ... pushing for drug legalization." [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by dddd on March 23, 2000 at 13:20:24 PT republican Horray for Gary Johnson. I believe he's a republican...Astounding!.....dddd [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: