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 2014 National Drug Control Strategy released today by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
“The Administration has a large challenge in combating illicit drug use, and I’m glad to see that it’s focused on addressing the ongoing epidemic of heroin and prescription opioid abuse. But it’s hard to reconcile the sentiment about preventing drug use by young people with the Administration’s decision not to enforce federal law when it comes to the large-scale trafficking and sale of marijuana for recreational use. In Colorado, since the loosening of state marijuana laws, we’ve seen increases in youth marijuana use, higher rates of marijuana-related school disciplinary actions, and more kids, some as young as toddlers, being admitted to emergency rooms for marijuana intoxication. And in Iowa and elsewhere, law enforcement officers have reported sharp increases in the seizure of marijuana diverted from Colorado. Mixed messages on drug use are dangerous for kids.”
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