UN: POT USE OUT OF CONTROL

[eg420ne]

'IT GROWS EVERYWHERE'

By AP

WASHINGTON -- Marijuana use worldwide is out of control because the plant grows everywhere, is in high demand and is considered by many to be harmless, a UN agency said yesterday.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, highlighted the marijuana problem at a news conference where he released his office's 2006 World Drug Report.

While governments around the world generally have succeeded in containing use of heroin, cocaine and amphetamines, marijuana is a different story, Costa said.

INCREASED THC CONTENT

"It's out of control in supply because it's a weed; it grows everywhere. It's out of control in demand because it's erroneously considered a light drug," he said. "Indeed, it is extremely problematic because of much-increased THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, content."

The UN report generally was upbeat, boasting gains including that opium poppy cultivation was down 22% in 2005.

It attributed the decline in opium poppy cultivation to cutbacks in the world's three main source countries of illicit opium: Afghanistan, Myanmar and Laos. Opium is the main ingredient for heroin.
'IT GROWS EVERYWHERE'
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eg420ne Reviewed by eg420ne on 06-27-2006. UN: POT USE OUT OF CONTROL 'IT GROWS EVERYWHERE' By AP WASHINGTON -- Marijuana use worldwide is out of control because the plant grows everywhere, is in high demand and is considered by many to be harmless, a UN agency said yesterday. Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, highlighted the marijuana problem at a news conference where he released his office's 2006 World Drug Report. While governments around the world generally have succeeded in containing use of heroin, Rating: 5