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 the National Institutes of Health's 2013 Monitoring the Future Survey. The survey measures drug use and attitudes among the nation's 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. The current survey shows high rates of marijuana use in this age group, as well as an increase in the number of students who do not view regular marijuana use as harmful. It also shows decreases in the abuse of pain relievers and synthetic drugs. Grassley comment -
"It's worrisome to see both increased marijuana use and a decrease in the perception of harm associated with that use. The facts make clear that marijuana is anything but harmless. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that marijuana is addictive. In Iowa, marijuana was involved in one-fifth of all drug-related emergency department visits in 2011. Driving while under the influence of marijuana is a growing problem within the states that have legalized its use.
"Unfortunately, some of the Obama Administration's policy priorities are contributing to the perception of marijuana's harmlessness. The Administration's decision not to prioritize the prosecution of the large-scale trafficking and sale of marijuana sends the message to teen-agers that marijuana use is fine. Also, as a result of the lack of enforcement at the federal and state levels, law enforcement officers in Iowa are reporting increases in marijuana coming to Iowa from Colorado.
"The good news is synthetic drug use declined significantly in the last year, going from over 11 percent to just under 8 percent among 12th graders. It appears the legislation I helped to enact and the continued work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, state law enforcement and drug control advocates are having a positive effect there."
The survey results are available here.
