Pubdate: Sat, 04 Jun 2005
Source: National Journal (US)
Copyright: 2005 National Journal Group Inc
Contact: http://nationaljournal.com/help/feedback.htm
Website: http://nationaljournal.com/njweekly/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1172
Author: Bruce Mirken
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Mark+Souder
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/walters.htm (Walters, John)
Cited: Office of National Drug Control Policy (www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov )

MISPLACED PRIORITIES

Your story "Drug Czar Plays Defense" [4/23/05, p. 1233] focused 
almost entirely on criticisms of White House drug czar John Walters 
by the drug-war hawks like Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., while paying 
little attention to other, equally valid criticisms of Walters.

Under Walters's directions, the White House Office of National Drug 
Control Policy--and indeed, the entire federal anti-drug 
establishment--has focused almost obsessively on marijuana, an 
approach that conservative columnist Deroy Murdock has called 
"uniquely idiotic." Walters actually claimed in a recent Cincinnati 
appearance that marijuana is "as potent as cocaine and methamphetamine."

Scientifically, that's nonsense. A review by Oxford University 
researcher Leslie Iversen in the February issue of Current Opinion in 
Pharmacology concludes, "Overall, by comparison with other drugs used 
mainly for 'recreational' purposes, cannabis [marijuana] could be 
rated a relatively safe drug." But mere facts haven't stopped 
Walters's office from carpeting U.S. airwaves and newspapers with ads 
designed to frighten teens and their parents about marijuana--a 
campaign that has virtually ignored truly lethal drugs like meth and inhalants.

The result? According to the latest federally funded Monitoring the 
Future survey of U.S. teenagers, adolescent use of marijuana declined 
slightly last year, while use of truly deadly inhalants and cocaine 
went up. And teens rated occasional use of marijuana as being more 
dangerous than trying crack cocaine, drinking nearly every day, or 
taking LSD regularly.

Amazingly, Walters called those results "good news." One can only 
wonder what he thinks bad news would look like.

Bruce Mirken

Director of Communications

Marijuana Policy Project

Washington