Is Medical Pot Image a Turn-Off?
By FRED GARDNER Every year the federal Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) conducts a survey on Drug Use and Health (DUH) and releases reports on perceived trends. If the survey finds that drug use is down, government officials say “Our approach is working, give us more funding.” If drug use is up, they say “We’re in an epidemic, we need more funding.” This year they get to make both pitches because drug use was found to be up in some age brackets and down in others. SAMHSA released an “initial report” Sept. 7 based on the 2005 DUH Survey. “Youth Drug Use Continues Downward Slide, Older Adult Rates of Use Increase©˜ was the headline. In the 12-to-17 age group, current marijuana users (those who acknowledged using within the past month) declined from 8.2 percent in 2002 to 6.8 percent in 2005. Among adults aged 50 to 59, however, “the rate of current illicit drug use increased from 2.7 percent to 4.4 percent between 2002 and 2005, reflecting the aging into t
