Still a lot left to consider at legislative session in Santa Fe

Be a citizen. Here are some considerations for the legislative session.

The death penalty is state sanctioned homicide. It is expensive and prolonged. There are, to my knowledge, no studies that establish its value as a deterrent. Therefore it is, at best, a sop to those who are unable to handle the death of someone at the hands of another; it is revenge, not justice. Killing living beings is generally considered wrong, even sinful by most major religions. New Mexico does not need to take any more steps toward the past, especially one so morally repugnant as this.

I urge you to say to your representatives that killing is wrong. Period. I, for one, would hate to live in a state that kills citizens for revenge, for the ultimate punishment. When the state kills someone it reflects poorly on all of us. It is a sin to kill and the state makes all of us sinners by doing so and does not allow us to opt out.

B. F. Skinner, widely considered an expert in behavioral conditioning, said that behavior is shaped and maintained by consequences, positive and negative. He also said that positive consequences were much more powerful and likely to have the desired effect, while negative ones did not result in a behavioral change of not doing the undesired act but rather increased a person’s efforts to hide their actions to avoid punishment. It is apparent that a periodic increase in the severity of criminal punishments does not reduce the rate of incidents of that crime. DWI is no different. I have no answer on how to reduce DWI but the only benefits to be reaped by increasing the penalties will be harvested by the industrial prison complex and the politicians in their pockets.

I have long supported the legalization of cannabis and other drugs as a sane, effective, cost-efficient way to control their manufacture and access. New Mexico was fairly early in approving medical cannabis. Recreational cannabis is being approved by state after state and those states are reaping significant tax revenues as a result. New Mexico is lagging behind.

I understand that Gov. Martinez is anti-cannabis; perhaps she continues to see life as a prosecutor. What I do not understand is why someone with her experience and apparent intelligence will not consider the available evidence supporting cannabis both as a medicine and a legitimate source of recreational experiences. I’m pretty sure everyone has heard and seen her comments while enjoying her own preferred recreational drug at a party.

New Mexico has enough waste and corruption, and we do need to spend our dollars wisely. I ask you to urge your legislative representatives to work toward the legalization of cannabis that will bring in much needed tax revenue and new jobs to New Mexico. I suggest you tell them that locking people up for longer periods of time does not reduce a particular crime only the costs we all must bear.

I am a law enforcement veteran, member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and the Drug Policy Alliance. I am also a Buddhist and have vowed to not kill other living beings. Some might ask how a Buddhist can advocate for recreational cannabis. What I advocate is a level playing field where a person’s choice of recreational stimulus, especially one far, far less harmful than the two most popular (alcohol and nicotine) receives a draconian punishment while the other does not.

I do not advocate for the use of any stimulant, legal or not. I advocate for fair and equal treatment, far better use of the scarce resources for law enforcement and a shift of those resources to health care rather than law enforcement and corrections. I also believe that the failed war on drugs should be brought to an end and the DEA reined in.

Jones moved to Ranchos de Taos in 1996.