POT, DEPRESSION LINK STRESSED BY DRUG CZAR

WASHINGTON - The White House drug czar said in a warning to parents
Friday that depressed teens are medicating themselves with marijuana,
running risks of even deeper depression.

A report by the Office National Drug Control Policy said that frequent
marijuana ingestion doubles a teen's risk of depression and anxiety,
based on data compiled from published studies.

The report, timed for release during Mental Health Awareness Month,
cited a study that marijuana use increases the risk of developing
mental disorders later in life by 40 percent.

"In short, marijuana makes a bad situation worse," said John Walters,
director of the drug control policy office.

Critics said the administration is trying to scare teens by
exaggerating the dangers.

"When you start convincing young people and their parents that
marijuana is the cause of problems rather than the symptom of them,
you can get into real problems," said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the
Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates
decriminalization of the drug. "It may cause people, parents, teens
and counselors to overlook the real cause of the problem."