Pubdate: Sat, 16 Jul 2005
Source: Union, The (CA)
Copyright: 2005 Nevada County Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.theunion.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/957
Author: Robert Sharpe
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1103/a06.html

REFOCUS DRUG WAR

Pat Butler's July 9th column was right on target. While local 
governments are struggling with a methamphetamine epidemic, the 
Office of National Drug Control Policy is spending millions on a 
reefer madness revisited ad campaign. This reflects a truly bizarre 
sense of priorities.

A National Association of Counties survey found that the vast 
majority of county officials report that methamphetamine is the 
biggest drug problem. Local law enforcement is where the rubber meets 
the road. These are the public safety professionals who deal with 
drug offenses on a daily basis. And it's not marijuana that concerns 
them, but rather meth. Meanwhile, an out-of-touch federal government 
continues to be obsessed with marijuana, even going so far as to 
prosecute terminally ill patients who use medical marijuana. The 
biggest lie to come out of the ONDCP is that new, potent strains of 
marijuana allegedly make pot a far more dangerous drug. This is pure 
nonsense. The only difference between weak and strong marijuana is 
that potent marijuana requires significantly less smoke inhalation to 
achieve the desired effect. It's actually less harmful. The tax 
dollars wasted on the ONDCP's misleading anti-marijuana campaign 
would be better spent on treatment for methamphetamine addicts.

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy 
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