Former Gov. Gary Johnson at the UNM Student Union Building (Photo by Peter St. Cyr)
Former Gov. Gary Johnson is still speaking out about decriminalizing and legalizing drugs in the United States.
And, on Tuesday night in Albuqeurque, Johnson told about 140 people that the Obama administration has to go further than just saying it won’t raid medical marijuana facilities. The Republican encouraged those in attendance, including a former deputy U.S. marshal, to make their voices heard.
“Let’s change what can be changed,” Johnson said in a speech at the University of New Mexico. “Let’s not accept a token, ‘Gee, the Feds won’t raid medical marijuana facilities anymore.’ It’s not enough. It needs to be more.”
Johnson said the war on drugs isn’t working and is too expensive. He has advocated for treatment programs to replace incarceration for small-time drug offenders.
“Doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity — I think,” Johnson said.
The UNM event was sponsored by the New Mexico branch of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) — which claims membership of more than 15,000 law enforcement officers who want to end the prohibition against drugs — and the UNM chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP).
Win Hansen, a spokesman for SSDP, told the Daily Lobo before the event that his organization favors decriminalization of marijuana as a way to reduce the harm suffered by drug users in America.
“We have just been trying harder and harder to enforce our prohibition for the past 30 years, or since the inception of the war on drugs,” Hansen said. “And all we’ve seen is an increase in the people who are punished and suffer for drug use in our society.”
To hear Johnson’s speech click the play arrow:After his speech, Johnson spoke with NMPolitics.net about drug violence on the border. He said the U.S. should be nation building with Mexico — more so than in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Johnson also talked about his new political action committee “Our America,” and the state’s on-going budget crisis — plus the increase in the number of exempt employees working in state government since he left office.