HUB GOES TO POT

Boston may be at sea level on the maps, but its residents are the
highest in the country, a federal drug-abuse report says.

More than 12 percent of people over the age of 12 admitted to having used
pot within the past month when recently surveyed, the federal Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported yesterday.
Behind Boston, which ranked No. 1 in the country, five of the top 15
regions with the highest rates of marijuana use were in Massachusetts.
"It's not a surprise to see Boston and other places in Massachusetts
ranking so high," said Michael Botticelli, assistant commissioner for
substance abuse services at the state Department of Public Health, noting
the more than 200,000 college students in Boston.

"While I certainly think college use is a factor, I don't think that
diminishes our concern," he said.

But don't blame college kids entirely. The researchers whose findings
were released yesterday steered clear of dorms. Botticelli said increased
pot use in the state has already caught the attention of Lt. Gov. Kerry
Healey and state lawmakers, leading to legislation boosting funding
for substance abuse services by $20 million in the past year, including
initiatives targeting college students.

But Boston University spokesman Colin Riley said school administrators
have had little indication chronic marijuana use is a major problem on
their campus. "The number of kids that come to our attention more than
once is extremely small," Riley said.

Many local residents said they were surprised at Boston's ranking as the
top pot-smoking region, but admitted they knew many people who use the
drug recreationally - including many in high school and even younger. "I
know a lot of people who use it," said 16-year-old Boston College High
School student Chris Hallet. "But I am surprised that Boston is No. 1."
Michael Cutler, an attorney for NORML, a pro-marijuana legalization group,
said the study "shows that prohibition doesn't make a difference." But
Suffolk District Attorney's Office spokesman David Procopio disagrees. "We
stand firm in believing that marijuana use needs to remain a criminal
infraction," Procopio said, adding that heroin, cocaine and OxyContin -
not marijuana - are still the most prevalent street level drugs, according
to detectives. "But that doesn't mean that marijuana is not a problem."
Anti-drug groups said the numbers belie a bigger issue of self-medication,
which is symptomatic of other problems like depression. "Some
use marijuana to make them feel good, but some use it to make them feel
better," said David Rosenbloom, director of Join Together, a Boston-based
substance abuse resource center.

The Hub edged out Boulder, Colo., where 10.3 percent of those surveyed
admitted recent pot use. Regions with the lowest rates of pot use are
northern Iowa and southern Texas, where less than 3 percent of those
surveyed reported recent use.