Anti-prohibitionist columnist Joanne Jacobs noted, "McCaffrey also told Rotarians in Albuquerque that the state's schoolchildren call their governor "Puff Daddy Johnson.''

If that's true, New Mexico schoolchildren must be remarkably well-versed on current events -- and the White House drug office must have agents in Southwest schoolyards."

In New Mexico the Czar also lied about the Netherlands – as he regularly does – with the result that a television station wants to investigate what is really happening in Holland.

An Albuquerque paper that is obviously no fan of Johnson’s gave both the Governor and the Czar failing marks on their performances.

See
Albuquerque Journal Editorial Criticizes Both Johnson and the Czar;
A Net Loss For Prohibitionism.

In fact, only a prohibitionist true believer could take the Czar’s statements seriously. Anyone who takes the time to investigate what he is saying will find out that he is lying. Heretofore, he has gotten a free ride from the media, most notably on his lies about the Netherlands, but about medical marijuana as well.

See
Washington Post and New York Times on IOM Medical Marijuana
Compare and Contrast – A Split In The Establishment?
The Drug Czar’s Quote In The Post Wins The Prize.
and
The Drug Czar’s Testimony On "The Drug Legalization Movement In America" Has Three Parts:
Lie About The Anti-Prohibitionist Movement; Lie About Marijuana; Lie About The Netherlands.
With A Little Lying About Me.

That may be coming to an end, in part because of the inept and heavy-handed response to Johnson. So why is he doing this?

I think that the answer is that prohibitionism – particularly the "reefer madness" about marijuana that is necessary to maintain marijuana prohibition – has become the driving ideology for DEAland’s law enforcement establishment. In order to maintain discipline within the ranks – many of whom know that marijuana prohibition is a fraud – it is necessary to respond immediately and as harshly as possible.
See
From The Drug Czar’s 8-Year Plan to the Republican’s Drug-Free Century Act,
The Prohibitionist Agenda Is War Without End. Orwell Would Understand.
Analysis By Richard Cowan

This is a condition similar to that in China where any dissent panics the governing Communist Party. They have long since abandoned Communism in practice, but insist on adherence to the ideology so as to maintain the discipline of the Party cadres. If they allow deviation from the Party Line the Party will lose power.

This is hardly new. When the failure of Communism became obvious in Russia under Stalin, anyone who showed any awareness of the problems was denounced as a "wrecker." Stalin simply liquidated everyone who knew what they were doing.

In DEAland, the villains are "legalizers," and adherence to an absurd ideology is a condition for advancement in law enforcement. This has the effect of either silencing or driving out any independent thinkers. This closed system then feeds the political establishment with candidates who are loyal to prohibitionism above all else.
See
How Marijuana Prohibition Corrupts All Of Our Institutions
– Medicine, Law Enforcement, Journalism
And How That Corruption Sustains Prohibitionism

If anyone criticizes any aspect of prohibition, except to say that we need more of the same, they are called "pro-drug" – as the Czar so scurrilously labeled Johnson’s comments. They are also accused of undermining "law enforcement."

See the amazingly intemperate response of New Mexican police:
Law Enforcement Reaction To Johnson’s Criticism:
"That is such an irresponsible position that I think the idiot should resign," says New Mexico Sheriff.
And It is Bad For Their Morale

The response to Governor Johnson has nothing to do with reducing substance abuse. It is about maintaining marijuana prohibition as the center piece of the prohibitionist ideology. It is disintegrating and the buffoonery necessary to maintain it with the cadres simultaneously undermines it with the public.

Perhaps the best analysis was offered by Stephen Young in a letter to a prohibitionist Canadian paper:

Answer—nobody’s quite sure, but they are going to need a lot more money and complete allegiance from the public to do the job right."