All too many young people are receiving mixed messages and inaccurate information about drugs.
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This was a result of a number of factors, but we do know that the messages kids get about the harms of drugs has a significant impact on their decision on whether or not to use.
Educating young people about the harms of drugs is essential.
There are now more teens going into treatment for marijuana dependency than for all other drugs combined.
We know that if we can prevent kids from trying drugs in their teenage years, we dramatically reduce the likelihood that they will go on to have problems later in life.
Drugs are in every walk of life - doctors, lawyers, preachers, the guy who works for IBM, teenagers on the street, teenagers in school.
There are many drugs that have many serious side effects and that are harmful to people. Marijuana is no different than that. And especially we should try to discourage young people from using marijuana.
I think the reason kids get into drugs and smoking is they don't have anything to do.
We all have an interest in making sure teens grow up healthy and drug-free.
I just think it's shocking how many of these young people wind up in prison and they get turned into hardcore criminals because they had a possession of a very small amount of controlled substance.
In recent years, we have been sending a clear, consistent signal about the harms of drugs, particularly marijuana, which for most young people is the first illegal drug that they are exposed to.