MCCAFFREY BLASTS MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 8 (UPI) - U.S. drug czar Barry McCaffrey says the nation
is winning the war on drugs, but victory is being jeopardized by the
medicinal marijuana movement.

Addressing the Council of State Governments Annual Convention in San Antonio
today, McCaffrey said, ``pain management is not best done with a joint and
two vodkas.''

McCaffrey, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, says
medicinal marijuana and so-called industrial hemp movements are ``silly and
sad'' and that they represent an attempt to ``legalize all drugs, including
marijuana, which poll after poll shows is opposed by 80 percent of the
American public.''

He compared referendums on medicinal marijuana to holding local elections on
``FAA flight regulations.''

McCaffrey says another factor hindering a victory in the war on drugs is a
disturbing increase in drug use among teenagers, including the use of heroin
and methamphetamine.

He says: ``Our children are using drugs again. The total percentage of
Americans who use illegal drugs has dropped from 14 percent 15 years ago to
6 percent today. I'd like to cut that to less than 3 percent, but if we
continue to tolerate pot smoking, cigarette use and alcohol consumption
among young people, we will see a bubble of drug use rising again in this
country.''

McCaffrey says his office will release next year a comprehensive plan to use
high technology to interdict drugs coming across the southwestern border,
including the use of radar to inspect trucks without having to stop and
search them.

Checked-by: Don Beck