Pubdate: Thu, 04 Nov 1999 Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM) Copyright: 1999 Albuquerque Journal Contact: P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103 Website: http://www.abqjournal.com/ Author: Loie Fecteau, Journal Capitol Bureau MAP's: Topical News Shortcut for Gov. Johnson articles: http://www.mapinc.org/johnson.htm GOV. EXPLAINS DRUG STAND TO STUDENTS Gov. Gary Johnson on Wednesday asked a group of about 75 middle school students from Santa Fe and Los Alamos how many of them could go out and get marijuana. About a third of the students raised their hands. Johnson then asked the students how many of them could obtain legal prescription drugs without a prescription. Not a single hand went up. "That's my point," said Johnson, who has received national attention for advocating the legalization of drugs such as heroin and marijuana. "When I talk about legalizing (drugs), I'm talking about controlling, taxing and regulating products that currently aren't," Johnson said. "I think marijuana, today, is, for you, perhaps more accessible than alcohol." Johnson made his remarks at La Cienega's Desert Academy, where he took questions during a mock news conference from a group of academy students and some students from Los Alamos Middle School. Johnson was invited to the academy by U.S. history teacher Ann Sienicki. "I wanted the students to see that they have access to government," Sienicki said after the news conference. The students quizzed Johnson on a wide range of topics, including drug legalization, school vouchers, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Indian gambling and what he plans to do after he leaves office. Some of the students were skeptical of Johnson's assertion that legalizing drugs would help curb drug abuse. "If legalizing drugs would solve problems, why does New Mexico have such a high rate of alcohol-related accidents?" asked Robbie Torney, a seventh-grader at Los Alamos Middle School. Johnson agreed alcohol "has wreaked incredible devastation on this country, yet alcohol is legal." Johnson told the students he hopes they never do drugs "but the fact is some of you are going to." "The fact is that in this room right here, a lot of you are going to do illegal drugs," Johnson said. "So for those of you that are going to do drugs, I have a couple of things to say to you. Number one is to be safe." "Whether you're doing drugs or alcohol, be safe when you do these things," Johnson said. "By that, certainly, don't drive cars" after drinking or doing drugs. "Don't put yourselves in those situations," Johnson said. "You know if you get caught doing drugs, you might not go to college because you can't get a (student) loan. You may be prohibited from doing a lot of things in your life because you get caught for doing drugs." But Johnson said he does not believe people should be jailed for doing drugs as long as they don't commit some other crime. "If you do drugs and drive, if you do drugs and do crime, if you do drugs and do anything that's currently against the law, then I'm going to hang you," Johnson said. "I'm going to hang you up by the thumbs. I want to hang anybody up by the thumbs that does harm to anyone else or to anyone else's property." Desert Academy ninth-grader Megan Woodard said after the news conference that she thought Johnson was evasive when pressed about how legalizing drugs would solve problems associated with drug abuse. Johnson maintained that money spent on law enforcement could be redirected into drug treatment and education programs. But he conceded that marijuana use might increase "a little bit" if the drug were legal. Asked if he had any interest in being president or a U.S. senator, Johnson said being governor was his "last political office." "I'm one of those people that believes the longer you're involved in politics, the less you accomplish," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake