The National District Attorneys Association has released a white paper supporting the enforcement of federal cannabis laws while stating that the NDAA supports research into the medicinal uses of cannabis regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and the impact of cannabis use on driving.
The authors conclude that “federal drug enforcement policy regarding the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of marijuana should be applied consistently across the nation to maintain respect for the rule of law.”
Specifically, the authors expressed concerns regarding the lack of impaired driving data available related to cannabis, noting that cannabis THC concentrations vary from product-to-product, the tolerance of frequent cannabis users, differences in absorption rates and release rates for different delivery methods, and the effects of cannabis on drivers also impaired by alcohol and other drugs.
The NDAA working group called children’s access to cannabis “one of the most significant concerns about legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational use.”
“Legalization of marijuana for purported medicinal and recreational purposes has increased access by children,” the letter contends. “…It is vitally important to do all we can to prevent access to marijuana by youth in America. Their health, safety and welfare demand no less.”
The report uses questionable studies from prohibitionist groups such as Smart Approaches to Marijuana, the Partnership for Drug Free Kids, and the American College of Pediatricians – a splinter professional group with just about 500 members, compared to the American Academy of Pediatrics which boasts more than 60,000 members.