WASHINGTON -- The top Senate Democrat is using marijuana's informal holiday to announce a change of heart about the drug, another sign of the growing political acceptance of pot. New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said Friday he'll introduce a bill taking marijuana off the federal list of controlled substances - in effect decriminalizing its use. Instead, his bill would let states decide how to treat marijuana possession. Under the measure, the federal government would still enforce laws against moving pot into states where it's illegal and would still regulate advertising so it isn't aimed at children. [continues 167 words]
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama cut short on Tuesday the sentences of 111 federal inmates in another round of commutations for those convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. Obama has long called for phasing out strict sentences for drug convictions, arguing they lead to excessive punishment and incarceration rates unseen in other developed countries. White House Counsel Neil Eggleston said the commutations underscored the president's commitment to using his clemency authority to give deserving individuals a second chance. He said that Obama has granted a total of 673 commutations, more than the previous 10 presidents combined. More than a third of the recipients were serving life sentences. [continues 374 words]
Congress can only control District sales (AP) - It's easy for Congress to meddle with the District's decision to legalize recreational use of marijuana, but taking on the states is a different matter. A catch-all spending bill Congress passed last week would prevent the District from using federal and local money to implement any law or regulation that repeals or reduces marijuana-related penalties. The action is in direct response to a voter initiative passed last month that allows possession of up to 2 ounces of pot or up to three mature plants for personal use. [continues 530 words]
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday joined Gov. Jerry Brown in expressing skepticism about legalizing marijuana in California for recreational purposes. The state's senior senator told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that one of her concerns is the potential for pot-impaired drivers to take to the road. Feinstein said she hopes California declines to join Colorado and Washington in approving the sale of marijuana for recreational use. "The risk of people using marijuana and driving is very substantial," she said. [continues 265 words]
WASHINGTON - Cocaine and methamphetamine use among young adults declined significantly last year as supplies dried up, leading to higher prices and reduced purity, the government reports. Overall use of illicit drugs showed little change. About one in five young adults last year acknowledged illicit drug use within the previous month, a rate similar to previous years. But cocaine use declined by one-quarter and methamphetamine use by one-third. Drug use increased among the 50-59 age group as more baby boomers joined that category. Their past month drug use rose from 4.3 percent in 2006 to 5 percent in 2007. [continues 552 words]
Overall drug use increased in the United States just a smidgen in 2005, but another drop among young teens had federal drug policy officials beaming on Tuesday. Illicit drug use among young teens went down for the third consecutive year - from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2005. " This is a culture change and welcome news for our nation's well-being," said John Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The government reported Thursday that 4.4 percent of baby boomers ages 50 to 59 indicated that they had used illicit drugs in the past month. It marks the third consecutive yearly increase recorded for that age group by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. [continues 297 words]
WASHINGTON - The government's anti-drug ad campaign has not been proven to deter children from using drugs, and lawmakers should consider reducing funding for the $1.2 billion program, congressional auditors said Friday. The Government Accountability Office based its recommendation on its review of an independent evaluation of the media campaign by Westat Inc. The government has spent about $1.2 billion since 1998 on scores of television, print and radio ads designed to discourage drug use among youth. The ads also describe parents as the anti-drug. President Bush requested another $120 million for next year. [continues 313 words]
The government's anti-drug ad campaign has not been proved to deter children from using drugs, and lawmakers should consider reducing funding for the $1.2 billion program, congressional auditors said Friday. The Government Accountability Office based its recommendation on its review of an independent evaluation of the media campaign by Westat Inc. The government has spent about $1.2 billion since 1998 on scores of television, print and radio ads designed to discourage drug use among youth. The ads also describe parents as the anti-drug. President Bush requested another $120 million for next year. [continues 310 words]
WASHINGTON Both college towns, Boston and Boulder, Colo., share another distinction: They lead the nation in marijuana use. Northwestern Iowa and southern Texas have the lowest use. For the first time, the government looked at the use of drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and various other substances, legal as well as illegal, by region rather than by state for a report Thursday. Regions could be as specific as Riverside, Calif., or as broad as all of the state of New York (minus New York City). Federal officials say the information will help states decide where they should spend money for treatment and prevention programs. [continues 278 words]
WASHINGTON (AP) - Both college towns, Boston and Boulder, Colo., share another distinction: They lead the nation in marijuana use. Northwestern Iowa and southern Texas have the lowest use. For the first time, the government looked at the use of drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and various other substances, legal as well as illegal, by region rather than by state for a report yesterday. Regions could be as specific as Riverside, Calif., or as broad as all of the state of New York (minus New York City). Federal officials say the information will help states decide where they should spend money for treatment and prevention programs. [continues 370 words]
WASHINGTON -- Both college towns, Boston and Boulder, Colo., share another distinction: They lead the nation in marijuana use. Northwestern Iowa and southern Texas have the lowest use. For the first time, the government looked at the use of drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and various other substances, legal as well as illegal, by region rather than by state for a report yesterday. Regions could be as specific as Riverside, Calif., or as broad as all of the state of New York (minus New York City). Federal officials say the information will help states decide where they should spend money for treatment and prevention programs. [continues 335 words]
WASHINGTON -- Treatment rates for marijuana nearly tripled between 1992 and 2002, the government says, attributing the increase to greater use and potency. "This report is a wake-up call for parents that marijuana is not a soft drug," said Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "It's a much bigger part of the addiction problem than is generally understood." Advocates of legalizing marijuana disagreed, saying the trend was largely due to an increase in marijuana arrests and had almost nothing to do with more people seeking treatment because they thought their own health was at risk. [continues 505 words]
WASHINGTON - Treatment rates for marijuana nearly tripled between 1992 and 2002, the government says, attributing the increase to greater use and potency. "This report is a wake-up call for parents that marijuana is not a soft drug," said Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "It's a much bigger part of the addiction problem than is generally understood." Advocates of legalizing marijuana disagreed, saying the trend was largely due to an increase in marijuana arrests and had almost nothing to do with more people seeking treatment because they thought their own health was at risk. [continues 504 words]
WASHINGTON - The admission rate for those who seek treatment for marijuana use nearly tripled between 1992 and 2002, according to the latest data compiled by the federal government. The numbers released Friday reflect a growing use of marijuana in the 1990s and an increase in the potency of marijuana, said Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy. "This report makes clear what people in the public health community have known for years, which is marijuana is a much more dangerous drug than many Americans realize," Riley said. "This report is a wake up call for parents that marijuana is not a soft drug. It's a much bigger part of the addiction problem than is generally understood." [continues 101 words]
WASHINGTON -- When Asa Hutchinson is formally sworn in today as head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, he will oversee an enforcement effort that arrests an ever-increasing number of people and puts them in prison for ever-longer periods. A Justice Department study released Sunday shows that prison time for drug offenders has more than doubled since 1986. Despite the prospect of more prison time, drug-related arrests have gone up at nearly the same rate. Between 1986 and 1999, the average prison term served by drug offenders rose from 30 months to 66 months. The number of drug defendants charged in federal court during that time increased from 15,762 to 29,306. [continues 724 words]
WASHINGTON -- Asa Hutchinson didn't need much of a break between jobs. On Friday he resigned as congressman of Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District. On Wednesday, Attorney General John Ashcroft swore him in as the director of the Drug Enforcement Administration. "It would be nice to have some time off, but there is an opportunity here, and I want to seize that," Hutchinson said from his new 12th-floor office in Alexandria, Va. "I want to impress upon people the urgency of what we're doing, and I think I'm needed right now." [continues 516 words]
