Pubdate: Thu, 30 Jan 2014
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Times, LLC.
Contact:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Author: Kelly Riddell

HOLDER AVOIDS POT DEBATE, BUT SEES USE OF SYNTHETIC DRUGS GROWING

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. acknowledged the use of synthetic
drugs is growing among U.S. teenagers, rejecting a suggestion that
President Obama's recent comments equating the dangers of marijuana
with those of alcohol might lead more young people to experiment with
pot.

The Drug Enforcement Agency is dealing with a spike in synthetic
drugs, commonly labeled as "incense," "spice" or "bath salts," among
teenagers primarily because of the misnomer that they're safe, Mr.
Holder told an oversight hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee
Wednesday.

"They've been marketed in such a way that there are no dangers in
using them, and that's not true," Mr. Holder said.

But the attorney general sidestepped a debate on Mr. Obama's recent
remarks on pot in a New Yorker profile, which have been strongly
criticized by some anti-drug activists and law enforcement
authorities.

"I haven't read the article," Mr. Holder said. "As I've understood, he
thinks the use of marijuana by young people isn't a good thing."

Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, pressed Mr. Holder on whether
he shared the president's view of the marijuana use and alcohol. Mr.
Holder maintained that minors smoking pot violates federal law and
that law would be enforced.

"I think the use of any drug is potentially harmful, including
alcohol," Mr. Holder said.

His comments didn't satisfy Mr. Sessions.

"I invested a huge amount of my time to break the use of drug use in
our country - to make clear drug use isn't socially acceptable and
children shouldn't be using it and it's wrong," said Mr. Sessions, a
former state attorney general. "I'm heartbroken at what the president
said - it's shocking to me."  
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