PRO-MARIJUANA GROUP RESPONDS TO US DRUG POLICY

A group supporting the legalization of marijuana has
begun a new Internet offensive against the Bush administration by
countering information listed in an "open letter" from an official at
the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) started
its new "Marijuana Truth" campaign by posting on its website a document
entitled, "Your Government Is Lying To You (Again) About Marijuana: A
Refutation of the Drug Czar's Open Letter to America's Prosecutors."

According to Keith Stroup, executive director of NORML, this campaign
seeks to counter federal "rhetoric" with fact-based information and
scientific reports "to stimulate an honest public discussion about the
minimal risks presented by marijuana and the disproportionate harms
associated with criminal pot prohibition."

The first report responds to a recent letter from Scott Burns, deputy
director for state and local affairs for ONDCP, urging law enforcement
officials to aggressively prosecute marijuana violators.

Burns' letter further advocated that prosecutors "tell the truth"
about marijuana, and then listed more than a dozen statements
regarding cannabis, including the allegation that "no drug matches the
threat posed by marijuana" and the claim that marijuana is more
addictive than "alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy,
and all other illegal drugs combined."

But, in response to the statement that there is a serious drug control
problem in this country, the NORML report states that "there is a
serious drug enforcement problem in this country."

"Despite the notion that America's drug war focuses on targeting
so-called hard drugs and hard drug dealers, data compiled by the FBI
report that nearly half of all drug arrests in American are for
marijuana only," the NORML report states.

"We invite all who are interested in learning the truth about
marijuana," Stroup said, "to read the drug czar's letter, and then
read NORML's rebuttal, and decide for yourself who is lying about
marijuana and why." He added: "We cannot any longer remain silent and
permit this taxpayer-funded propaganda to occur without a challenge."

Stroup concluded: "It is time for us as a nation to allow the science,
as opposed to the rhetoric, dictate our public policy regarding
marijuana. Exaggerating the dangers associated with the responsible
use of marijuana results in the needless arrest of hundreds for
thousands of good, productive citizens in this country and does
nothing to promote public safety."

Officials at the ONDCP failed to return several calls seeking comment
about NORML's Internet report.