MPP executive director Rob Kampia will appear on CNBC's "Power Lunch" to discuss U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's recent statements about medical marijuana and the economic benefits of changing our marijuana laws. The segment featuring Rob should begin shortly after 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.

For years federal officials have been trying to scare Americans, especially parents, into believing that marijuana is dangerously addictive. Former drug czar John Walters loved to deploy frightening statistics, as when he told the Cincinnati Post in 2005,  "Nationwide, the number of teens seeking treatment for marijuana abuse or dependency was higher than for all illegal drugs combined."

But the latest federal report on drug treatment admissions, released this week, shows that the majority of those in treatment for alleged marijuana abuse or dependence didn't seek treatment at all: They were forced into it.

According to the new report, which covers 2007 admissions, only 14.8% of marijuana treatment admissions involved people of any age checking themselves in to get help.  That compares to 36.1% for smoked cocaine users and 58.1% for heroin users. And in contrast to those in treatment for these truly addictive drugs, 56.9% of marijuana treatment admissions were generated by the criminal justice system. That is, people -- mostly young people -- got arrested for marijuana, were offered treatment instead of jail and, understandably, chose treatment.

A few other interesting tidbits about those in treatment for supposed marijuana abuse or dependence: They're disproportionately young, with over 40% aged 19 or under (as compared to 1.7% for cocaine and 2.7% for heroin). They're more likely than those  in treatment for other drugs to be employed, which is particularly startling given that so many are so young they're still in school. And they're far more likely than users of other drugs to be receiving outpatient treatment, with only 2.2% receiving inpatient detoxification, compared to 16.8% for smoked cocaine, 30% for alcohol, and 33% for heroin.

All in all, this is a portrait of a population that bears little or no resemblance to a group of addicts. The majority appears to be receiving drug abuse treatment they don't need in order to satisfy a legal system gone mad.

When medical use of marijuana is illegal, it's not just the patients themselves who get hurt. Today's Chicago Tribune reports the story of police dispatcher Laura Llanes, whose aunt is battling breast cancer and suffering the side effects of chemotherapy.

Llanes told the paper that her aunt was "sick constantly, not eating, not having an appetite. She is diabetic. She has to eat. She was whittling away to nothing." So she obtained three joints worth of marijuana for her aunt, and it helped.

But when Llanes told a co-worker about it, word got to her supervisors, and now she's out of a job -- collateral damage in America's ongoing war on the sick.

On the bright side, medical marijuana legislation is under consideration in Illinois. To find out how you can help -- and especially if you live in Illinois -- please visit our Illinois page.

MPP Executive Director Rob Kampia discusses the failure of the drug war and the benefits of ending marijuana prohibition with Al Roker on MSNBC. 03/15/2009

There are a lot of colorful characters who, for fun and profit, devote their lives to prolonging the war on marijuana users, no matter how much damage it causes to society or how little it does to stem drug trade violence.

Many of these drug warriors are clearly unhinged, their views informed more by blind zealotry than by sober policy analysis. That's why I hesitate to post this video of longtime anti-drug culture warrior Joyce Nalepka attempting to disrupt a recent MPP-sponsored press conference regarding faulty drug tests administered by law enforcement. After all, there are shaky folks on all sides of the marijuana policy debate, and I don't think it's right to single out the clowns on such a serious matter.

However, as Nalepka herself points out in this exchange with MPP's Rob Kampia, she has drug policy experience – if not expertise – and the larger, federal drug war establishment hasn't exactly tried to disassociate itself from her. She's president of Drug Free Kids: America's Challenge and was once president of the National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth, which Nancy Reagan chaired during her husband's presidency.

So who am I to protect her if she wants to make a fool of herself? Here she is, squaring off against Rob, in all her indignant, delusional glory ... 

John Stossel discusses the conflict between state and federal laws regarding medical marijuana and its victims. Charlie Lynch, who operated a medical marijuana dispensary which was legal under California law, is interviewed regarding his conviction and impending sentencing on federal drug charges for operating his facility.

MPP Executive Director Rob Kampia responds to off-topic criticisms by drug warrior Joyce Nalepka at a press conference announcing the release of a study called" False Positives Equal False Justice", which shows the inadequacy of many substance tests commonly used by police as evidence in drug prosecutions. 03/03/2009

On March 17, 1999, the Institute of Medicine -- in a report commissioned by the White House -- declared, "Nausea, appetite loss, pain, and anxiety are all afflictions of wasting and all can be mitigated by marijuana."

The report acknowledged the drawbacks of smoking and urged creation of a "rapid-onset, nonsmoked cannabinoid delivery system," but added, "In the meantime, there are patients with debilitating symptoms for whom smoked marijuana might provide relief." Studies published since 1999 have verified that marijuana vaporizers provide just the sort of rapid, nonsmoked delivery the IOM suggested.

Federal officials disregarded -- and sometimes baldly misstated -- the findings, prompting co-author Dr. John Benson to tell the New York Times in 2006 that the government "loves to ignore our report. ... They would rather it never happened."

Now, we have a new president who speaks regularly of letting scientific data, not ideology, drive policy, and who has said he would put an end to Drug Enforcement Administration raids aimed at undermining state medical marijuana laws. Is a new and more rational day finally dawning?

Those in the Washington, D.C., area can catch what should be a lively discussion of the IOM report and its impact hosted by the Cato Institute on March 17, featuring MPP executive director Rob Kampia and University of California researcher Dr. Donald Abrams, whose studies have further documented marijuana's medical value, and medical marijuana opponent Robert Dupont. Click here for details and reservation information.

MPP Director of Communications Bruce Mirken discusses marijuana policy and the new drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, with Rachel Maddow.

Suddenly the folks in TV newsland are very interested in marijuana policy. Lots and lots of stuff coming up, starting tonight:

I'm scheduled to be interviewed on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" tonight, at around 9:45 p.m. Eastern/6:45 Pacific, discussing the newly appointed drug czar.

Then, on Friday, ABC's John Stossel looks at medical marijuana and the appalling prosecution of Charles Lynch. Lynch's case will also be discussed in an Al Roker special for MSNBC, which also includes an interview with MPP executive director Rob Kampia, airing Sunday, March 15.

And on CNN, "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" is doing a segment on the growing calls for reform of marijuana laws, for which I was just interviewed. Current word is that this will air on Saturday, March 28, with a repeat that Sunday. But TV schedules do change, sometimes at the last minute, so none of the dates/times above should be considered chiseled in stone.