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Thursday, November 14, 2019

Meth Takes Over As State's Most Deadly Drug, Plus: Worry Over Legal Pot  

The new year is right around the corner and with it renewed hope that the dangerous and costly drug epidemic will stall. But drug caused, skyrocketing crime and untold suffering among a wide swath of citizens shows signs of accelerating, not slowing. The latest:

New Mexico has seen a shift. For years, black tar heroin was the biggest problem, then prescription painkillers, said Dr. Michael Landen of the state’s health department. State meth deaths went from 150 in 2017 to 194 last year, vaulting meth to the top. “It’s really been the first time we’ve seen that,” said Landen. He attributed the surge in meth to its wide availability and low cost, and said he worried it could get worse. While there are programs to deal with fentanyl and heroin overdoses, there’s not much in place to prevent meth deaths, he said. “I think we’re potentially going to be caught off guard with methamphetamine deaths, and we have to get our act together,” he said.

That's not only bad news for drug addicts but for property, business and auto owners whose assets they prey upon.

So,will 2020 be the year the NM Legislature legalizes marijuana? Probably not. The huge medical marijuana program--nearly 80,000 patients--could be a major stumbling block as worries mount that legalization could put pressure on medical pot supplies.

2021 could be different, if the conservative coalition that governs the senate takes a hit at the ballot boxes next November.

There's also a medical issue with legalized pot that has been getting more attention. The US Surgeon General recently recommended that people under 25 not use marijuana because of possible adverse impact of high potency pot on brain development. (Yes, some studies have found no link.)

CRIME BEAT

Scott Beckman, Community Development Manager for the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District, writes: :

Hi Joe, Here’s an update hot off the Legislative Finance Committee presses:

“Violent crime rates in New Mexico increased 10 percent between 2017 and 2018, to 856.6 per 100 thousand residents, FBI figures show. Property crime rates dropped 12.6 percent, to about 3,420 per 100 thousand people. The rise in violent crime was driven by increased rates of homicide, rape, and aggravated assault, which rose between 8.7 percent and 21.5 percent, while robbery rates dropped 24.2 percent.”

For perspective, a quote on violent crime direct from The New Mexico Gang Task Force:

“The gang problem in New Mexico has escalated in the last two decades from relatively traditional neighborhood gangs, found primarily in the state’s urban areas, to criminal gangs statewide. New Mexico’s gangs have evolved and continue to be more mobile, more violent, and more involved in high-level criminal activities.”

STAFFING UP

Avitia
It's a step up for Rebecca Avitia who incoming Governor MLG asked to resign as executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Avitia chose not to reapply, although her tenure steadied the ship there. Since then the 37 year old native New Mexican has worked as state director for US Senator Martin Heinrich. Now she's been promoted to his Chief of Staff in his DC office, one of three Hispanic staff chiefs in the senate. Heinrich's office says:

Avitia grew up in Albuquerque’s North Valley. She is a graduate of Eldorado High School, Trinity University, and Columbia University School of Law. She was a practicing attorney in both New York and New Mexico.

Avitia will have time to settle in. Heinrich is not up for re-election until 2024. The senator’s ties to New Mexico came into question during his reelection campaign last year with his Republican opponent pointing out that he now lives in the DC area and not New Mexico. The Avitia appointment could help to dampen such criticism.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019
 
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