New Mexico Drug Panel Wants More Treatment, New Laws

An advisory group formed by Gov. Gary Johnson unveiled a slew of ideas today aimed at cutting into New Mexico's illegal drug problem. The wish list includes several proposals to expand drug treatment and prevention programs, and to change laws to decriminalize the possession and use of small amounts of marijuana.
Recommedations here

The Governor's Drug Policy Advisory Group also recommended ideas like allowing for the use of marijuana as a medical treatment for some people suffering from terminal diseases, and expanding the state's needle-exchange program to help reduce drug-related diseases.

The group, led by retired state District Judge Woody Smith, hopes to arm Johnson with ideas to lay a foundation for a comprehensive state drug policy. Smith admitted some ideas -- such as decriminalizing marijuana possession -- might by controversial. But he and others on the group urged the public and legislators to consider the entire package of recommendations with open minds. "I feel these changes, if they are taken seriously, will make things better in this state," Smith said during a news conference this morning.

Johnson, a Republican, received the group's report Wednesday. He will sift through the recommendations and decide which ones he will pursue. Johnson will outline his thoughts about the report Friday during a news conference, an aide said.

Health Secretary Alex Valdez, a member of the group, said many of the ideas can be pursued administratively. Other policy recommendations, such as changes in criminal sentencing laws and money to expand treatment programs, will require approval from the Legislature when it meets later this month.

The push for new drug-control strategies was born out of Johnson's controversial support, first to decriminalize drug possession, then later to legalize some drugs. The reason for decriminalizing marijuana use -- basically removing criminal sanctions for possession of one ounce or less of the drug -- is to free up jail and prison space for violent criminals.

However, the group did not tackle the idea of legalizing drugs, which Johnson feels is a national issue for Congress, not states, to deal with. Instead, Johnson asked the group to come up with more practical ideas to help reduce the effects of drug abuse.

A leading legislative critic is leery about Johnson's efforts to change drug policies. Rep. Ron Godbey, an Albuquerque Republican, has said he believes Johnson is using so-called "harm-reduction" programs as a means toward more liberal drug laws. Godbey has promised to fight Johnson's drug-policy proposals in the Legislature.

Mayor Jim Baca, another member of the group, urged critics not to overreact to individual recommendations. Baca said that taken as a whole, the package is a long-range plan that would eventually help the state and cities free up money for more important priorities, such as fighting violent crime and beefing up education programs. "There's nothing very radical in here," Baca said of the recommendations. "It's all pretty much common sense stuff."

Blue Ribbon New Mexico Advisory Group Issues Recommendations for Drug Policy Reform

Source: The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue #167

The Governor's Drug Policy Advisory Group, appointed by New Mexico Governor Johnson last May, has completed its Report and Recommendations evaluating the effectiveness of current New Mexico drug policies. The blue-ribbon panel, a diverse group including judges, the Secretaries of Health and of Public Safety, the mayor of Albuquerque, and other policy and medical experts, is recommending a comprehensive list of specific programs and strategies to improve the way that New Mexico deals with drug abuse and drug policy.

The Advisory Group's Recommendations include the implementation of effective prevention and drug education programs, the availability of effective drug treatment on request to anyone who needs it, the expansion of harm reduction strategies to decrease the potential dangers of drug use and abuse, and the reform of criminal justice sentencing for certain drug offenders.

"It's become apparent that the current 'war on drugs' is a failure," said retired District Court Judge Woody Smith, Chair of the Advisory Group. "The question is, what concrete changes can be made to address the dangers of drug abuse and drug-related violence effectively. We hope this Report will help New Mexico answer that question."

According to the NORML News (http://www.norml.org), the advisory group, among the Advisory Group's recommendations is ending criminal sanctions for the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana by anyone over 18 years old (those smoking marijuana in public would still face a civil fine), and recommended that the Lynn Pierson medical marijuana act be amended to allow physicians to recommend and patients to access medical marijuana when medically appropriate.

According to NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup, "The Governor's Drug Policy Advisory Group joins a long list of prestigious commissions and study groups that have reached the conclusion that we should stop arresting responsible marijuana smokers, including the National Commission on Marijuana Use and Drug Abuse (Shaffer Commission, 1972) in this country, the LeDain Commission (1972) in Canada and the Wooten Report (1968) in England."

The committee also recommended reducing first and second drug possession offenses to misdemeanors with automatic probation and substance abuse treatment rather than jail time, the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders, and a reallocation of police resources to focus primarily on violent crime and secondarily on property crime, rather than on drug enforcement.

In addition to Judge Smith, the Advisory Group includes Secretary Alex Valdez of the Department of Health; Secretary Nick Bakas of the Department of Public Safety; Albuquerque Mayor Jim Baca; Senior Judge John Kane of the United States District Court of Denver; Angie Vachio, Executive Director of PB & J Family Services; New Mexico State Senator Cisco McSorley; Steve Bunch, President of the New Mexico Drug Policy Foundation; Dr. Steve Jenison of the Infectious Disease Bureau of Public Health; and Dr. Norty Kalishman of the McCune Charitable Foundation.

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