Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today made the following comment on observations from a top official at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that state efforts to fully legalize marijuana are "reckless and irresponsible." The observations from James Capra, chief of operations at the DEA, came at a drug caucus hearing this week in response to a question from Grassley.
"The comments from this top DEA official echo what I've been hearing in Iowa. Law enforcement officers in Iowa are reporting increases in marijuana coming to Iowa from Colorado. The Obama Administration's decision not to prioritize the prosecution of the large-scale trafficking and sale of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado will contribute to these problems. The latest national survey of teen-agers shows high rates of marijuana use and an increase in the number of students who don't view regular marijuana use as harmful. Meanwhile, in Iowa, marijuana was involved in one-fifth of all drug-related emergency room visits in 2011. I appreciate the challenges facing law enforcement in dealing with the mixed messages on marijuana being sent by the Obama Administration and some states."
