2014 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Drugs

Maggie Hassan: Experience & data suggest legalizing marijuana does not help

The evidence suggests that legalizing marijuana will increase the number of minors who use this drug, will make our workforce less productive and our roads less safe, and will undermine public health.

However, we do need to thoughtfully consider our current policies toward substance abuse to refocus on treatment. I do not believe that a young person with a substance problem should end up in jail, prison or with a criminal record on their first offense. That is why I would support a comprehensive review of our criminal code and our sentences to consider alternative options that will focus on treatment first.

Paul LePage: We are losing War on Drugs; more enforcement & prosecution

Over 20% of the homicides in 2012 were related to illegal drugs. We must address the problem of drug addiction and drug trafficking. We must act now.

We need to fully fund the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. Our police chiefs tell us local law enforcement officials need more resources to fight the drug problem in our state.

My proposal adds four new special drug prosecutors and four new judges to sit in enhanced drug courts in Presque Isle, Bangor, Lewiston and Portland. Since local agencies do not have the manpower or resources they need to fight Maine's drug problem, we will add 14 MDEA agent positions.

We must hunt down dealers and get them off the streets. We must protect our citizens from drug-related crimes and violence.

Jack Markell: Addiction is a disease; fill gaps in drug treatment system

For many addicts, it's possible to deal with their disease successfully and go on to live happy, productive lives. There are stories like a teenage girl who lapsed into drug and alcohol use following her father's suicide and landed in jail, but with assistance of a Drug Court program overcame her addiction and got a college education.

We all know people with addictions who, with the right intervention, could live fulfilling lives. It's time for us to put into practice what we already know: addiction is a disease. It can and must be treated. Later this year, I will propose changes that better align our resources to fill the gaps in our drug treatment system and I look forward to working with you to fill these gaps.

Phil Bryant: Drug courts work; fully fund them

To combat pockets of serious crime in our state, I have asked you to fund a violent crime strike force composed of state, local and federal law enforcement officers. These elite forces will respond to a specific high-crime area and hit gangs and drug dealers where they live.

Chris Christie: Drug courts: mandate treatment, not imprisonment

That is why I proposed last year to change our approach to non-violent drug offenders, and mandate treatment, not imprisonment. Together, we made this possible. The drug court program has been a success, thanks in part to your support in funding both the court and the treatment.

And I thank you for passage this past year of the Overdose Protection Act. We should not be prosecuting those Good Samaritans and health professionals who are trying to help in a life-threatening overdose situation.

Peter Shumlin: Address drug addiction as a public health crisis

We often hear in the news about the criminal side of drug addiction, about the robberies or the busts in our communities. Our police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges do an extraordinary job under tough circumstances. But as those who are in the thick of this struggle have concluded, we must bolster our current approach to addiction with more common sense. We must address it as a public health crisis, providing treatment and support, rather than simply doling out punishment, claiming victory, and moving onto our next conviction.

Addiction is, at its core, a chronic disease. We must do for this disease what we do for cancer, diabetes, heart, and other chronic illness: first, aim for prevention, and then eradicate any disease that develops with aggressive treatment.