DRUGS BODY SAYS MARIJUANA FINDINGS UNSURPRISING

A national drugs body is not surprised by findings that fewer Australians
want marijuana legalised.

The Australian National Council on Drugs says new research is revealing the
potential carcinogenic effects of smoking the drug, and Australians are
becoming more health conscious.

And council spokesman GINO VUMBACCA says researchers had also found
marijuana may create more dependence than was previously thought.

Mr VUMBACCA'S comments follow this morning's release of a Morgan Research
survey showing the number of people wanting the drug legalised is down two
per cent on the previous year -- from 33 per cent to 31 per cent, reversing
previous trends.

Sixty per cent of those questioned believed marijuana should not be legalised.

The poll of 5,357 people was taken in December 2001.