Gary Johnson in The Chicago Tribune

On Drugs: War on Drugs is a miserable failure; $6M for treatment

California and Arizona have gone the furthest in decriminalizing non-violent drug use, raising the issue’s profile nationally and spurring about 10 other states this year to consider a similar philosophical shift. Arguing that the multibillion-dollar drug war has been a failure, legislatures in New York, Hawaii, Arkansas, and elsewhere are considering revisions to mandatory sentence laws for low-level drug offenders and may provide millions of dollars to drug diversion programs.

Last month, the New Mexico legislature approved five drug bills proposed by Republican Gov. Gary Johnson, an ardent supporter of decriminalizing drugs. Included in the package are measures that will allocate $6 million to expand treatment services, legal protections for syringe sales, and restoring voting rights for felons who have served their time. “The war on drugs is a miserable failure,” Johnson said. “50% of the money for prisons and courts is spent on drugs. What we’re doing isn’t working.”

Source: V. Dion Haynes, Chicago Tribune, p. 6 Apr 9, 2001

The above quotations are from Media coverage of IL political races in The Chicago Tribune. Click here for other excerpts from Media coverage of IL political races in The Chicago Tribune. Click here for other excerpts by Gary Johnson. Click here for a profile of Gary Johnson.
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