Dan Lundgren was reported to have said recently that medical marijuana use
in California, as a result of Prop 215, has spurred an increase in pot use
by teens. This irresponsible, and unsupportable statement is a wonderful
example of why so many people in general, and teens in particular, mistrust
any statement made by public officials dealing with drugs and drug use.

He based his claim on the latest National Household Survey on Drug Abuse,
which was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) which dates from 1986, before Prop 215 was in
effect.

Lundgren also claimed that California and Arizona, the two states to have
passed medical marijuana initiatives, are the only two states to have shown
increased drug use. Although California showed a statistically
insignificant increase in 1996, the study did not record breakdowns of data
for other states, so, at best, his claim was speculative, and, at worst, it
was a deliberate deception.

According to SAMHSA researchers, there is no evidence whatsoever for his
claims relating to teen drug use. When are people like Lundgren going to
learn that lying about drugs is ultimately a losing proposition? Or have
those in authority grown so accustomed to using hyperbole and deception to
fight the war on drugs that they are no longer interested in what is true
and what is not?

Gary Weston 905 Aspen Way Petaluma, CA 94954 763-2785