Pubdate: Thu, 06 Feb 2014
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Times, LLC.
Contact:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Author: Joseph Curl

IS EVERYONE OVER AT THE WHITE HOUSE HIGH?

While marijuana's biggest booster - President Obama - says blowing a
joint with your buddies is fine anytime, the White House's Office of
National Drug Control Policy says pot is "dangerous" and that sale of
the drug is a "serious crime." (So, maybe just the occupant of the
Oval Office is baked.)

In fact, the drug control office's website has nothing good to say
about marijuana at all - and quite a few alarming things that are
based on, you know, "research."

The site says pot has "a high potential for abuse and no currently
accepted medical use in treatment in the United States."

And: "Research tells us that chronic marijuana use may increase the
risk of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals, and high doses of
the drug can produce acute psychotic reactions."

And: "Research suggests that the economic costs associated with use
of the drug could far outweigh any benefit gained from an increase in
tax revenue."

The website says that in 2011, more than 18 million Americans 12 and
older reported using the drug within the past month. About 4.2 million
people were dependent on pot, "more than pain relievers, cocaine,
tranquilizers, hallucinogens, and heroin combined."

In other bad news for stoners, a recent study says fatal car crashes
involving marijuana have tripled to 12 percent. Another finding was
that the risk of a fatal crash for someone on alcohol and pot is 24
times that of a sober person.

But the president said recently that toking up is just a "bad
habit."

"As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as
a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I
smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I
don't think it is more dangerous than alcohol."

Not cool, says the drug control policy office. "Lower levels of
perceived risk are associated with higher use rates. Surveys have
found some troubling trends in recent years, with young Americans
(ages 12 to 17), as the percentage reporting thinking there was a
great risk of harm in smoking marijuana has decreased."

Marijuana is particularly dangerous to younger users. "Researchers
have also found that adolescents' long-term use of marijuana may be
linked with lower IQ (as much as an 8 point drop) later in life," the
office says.

More: "Confusing messages being presented by popular culture, media,
proponents of 'medical' marijuana, and political campaigns to
legalize all marijuana use perpetuate the false notion that marijuana
is harmless. This significantly diminishes efforts to keep our young
people drug free and hampers the struggle of those recovering from
addiction," the website says.

Last week, some federal lawmakers asked Michael Botticelli, deputy
director of the office, what the Obama administration thinks about
marijuana. "The administration continues to oppose attempts to
legalize marijuana and other drugs," he told a House Oversight and
Government Reform subcommittee.

Rep. John L. Mica, apparently not blazed, called the White House's
stance "schizophrenic" and "a policy in chaos." "We've gone from 'just
say no,' then we had 'I didn't inhale,' and now we have 'just say
maybe' or 'just go ahead.'"

"We are trying to sort out what is the policy of the administration as
it is now faced with many states passing legal use of marijuana, first
for medical purposes, now recreational purposes," the Florida
Republican said.

Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration is also struggling with
the chaotic policy. During a Senate hearing last month, James Capra,
chief of operations for the DEA, said "going down the path to
legalization in this country is reckless and irresponsible."

"I'm talking about the long-term impact of legalization in the United
States. It scares us," he said. "The treatment people are afraid, the
education people are afraid. Law enforcement is worried what is going
to happen. In every part of the world where this experiment has been
tried, it has failed, time and time again."

And just as the nation's capital prepares to decriminalize marijuana,
making the penalty for holding an ounce of pot just $25, less than a
parking ticket, the president weighed in on - cigarettes?

"I applaud this morning's news that CVS Caremark has decided to stop
selling cigarettes and other tobacco products in its stores, and begin
a national campaign to help millions of Americans quit smoking
instead," said the nicotine gum-chomping president.

"Today's decision will help advance my administration's efforts to
reduce tobacco-related deaths, cancer, and heart disease, as well as
bring down health care costs - ultimately saving lives and protecting
untold numbers of families from pain and heartbreak for years to
come," he said.

But marijuana? Not so bad. So for you tobacco smokers, quit that weed
and pick up the other one, wacky tobacky. Endorsed by the president of
the United States!  
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D