RESEARCHERS WEED OUT FACTS ON MARIJUANA USE

OTTAWA - Decriminalizing marijuana does not lead to increased use,
says a new U.S. study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

The researchers also found no evidence to back up claims that
marijuana is a "gateway drug" that leads to use of harder drugs.

The conclusions came from interviewing marijuana smokers in Amsterdam,
where marijuana can be legally purchased in licensed "coffee houses,"
and San Francisco, where people who are caught smoking pot can receive
a criminal record.

"Our findings do not support claims criminalization reduces cannabis
use and that decriminalization increases cannabis use," says the study
by California and Dutch professors.