He outlined three initial steps. The first was to eliminate all criminal penalties for marijuana possession. Step two was to build on existing methadone treatment programs for heroin users by allowing public-health professionals to administer heroin and cocaine to addicts “as part of supervised maintenance or treatment programs.” Finally, Schmoke wanted the government to explore broader decriminalization through a commission that would “study substance abuse, including tobacco and alcohol, and make recommendations on how they should be regulated based upon their potential for harm.”
