President Obama’s “mixed response” to marijuana use has contributed to the sharp uptick in heroin deaths, a leading Republican said.
Referring to marijuana as a “gateway drug,” Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said the administration’s mixed signals on pot has led to more heroin users. Mica led a hearing of the House Oversight Committee on drug abuse on Tuesday.
He noted during the hearing that the drug slogan from the late Nancy Reagan of “just say no” has turned into “just say OK.”
Mika noted that federal drug prosecutions are down 6 percent from 2015.
The administration has allowed states with marijuana decriminalization laws to sell the drug, even though it is still illegal under federal law. Obama has also made a push to get rid of mandatory minimums for first-time drug offenders.
Democrats on the committee countered that locking up addicts hasn’t helped address the problem.
“We incarcerated generations rather than giving them the treatment they needed,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the committee’s ranking member.
Heroin use has more than doubled among young people ages 18 to 25 over the past decade, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, since 2007 there has been a 340 percent increase in heroin-related deaths from 2007 to 2014, and the number of deaths jumped from 2,402 to 10,574, according to administration figures.
The CDC found that users of marijuana are three times more likely to use heroin, compared to two times more likely than normal for people who use alcohol. The agency added that nearly all heroin users have used another drug, and most use at least three drugs.
Another part of the problem is synthetic fentanyl, a powerful synthetic analgesic that is added to heroin to make it more pure, said Michael Botticelli, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, at the hearing.
The addition of synthetic fentanyl increases the risk of an overdose death, Botticelli said.
But another big driver of the heroin epidemic has been the proliferation of prescription opioids, CDC said. The agency reported that 45 percent of people who used heroin were also addicted to prescription opioids.
The debate comes as several senators are clamoring for the House to take up major legislation addressing the problem. The legislation, which passed the Senate 94-1 this month, would expand access to treatment and an overdose antidote called naloxone.
Cummings also pushed for the House to provide more funding for treatment services, especially for treatment centers for addicts.
“Drug treatment facilities without adequate funding are like fireman trying to put out a raging inferno without enough water,” Cummings said.
