Among men age 50 to 54, nearly 9 percent admitted to having used marijuana within the past year. Among males age 50 to 60, over four percent said that they had used cannabis.

Commenting on the study's findings, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "While the federal government refuses to acknowledge that marijuana has a legitimate role as a medicine, in particular one that can offset many of the symptoms and conditions associated with aging, it is nevertheless apparent that a growing percentage of the public – and older Americans especially – are becoming increasingly aware of this plant's safety and efficacy."

Among females age 50 to 54, four percent admitted to having used pot in the previous year.

"This new data has profound implications for the health and well-being of older adults who continue to abuse substances," a SAMHSA representative stated in a press release. "These findings highlight the need for prevention programs for all ages as well as to establish improved screening and appropriate referral to treatment as part of routine health care services."

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org, or Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel, at: (202) 483-5500. Full text of the study, "Illicit Drug Use Among Older Adults," is available online from SAMHSA at: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k9/168/168OlderAdults.cfm.

Members of the public submitted over 14,000 questions to the site, which had promised to pose the most popular questions to the President. The three questions that gained the highest total of public votes all pertained to legalizing marijuana.

YouTube representatives have not provided any official explanation as to why the questions were omitted from the debate.

In 2009, publicly submitted questions regarding marijuana legalization topped several other White House related polls, including surveys conducted by Change.org and WhiteHouse.gov.

Commenting on the poll results NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "Marijuana legalization is not a political liability; it is a political opportunity. It is unfortunate that the majority of politicians still fail to acknowledge this fact."

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500, or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.

Providence, RI: Legislation introduced by lawmakers this week to decriminalize marijuana possession offenses would save taxpayers an estimated one quarter of a million dollars annually in incarceration costs.

On Tuesday lawmakers introduced House Bill 7317, which would reduce penalties for minor marijuana possession offenses from a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $500 fine, to a civil offense punishable by no more than a $150 fine. Similar legislation is pending in New Hampshire and Washington.

To date, 13 states have decriminalized the possession marijuana for nonmedical use.

Speaking before a special legislative commission in January, Rhode Island Department of Corrections Director A. T. Wall told lawmakers that decriminalizing marijuana possession offenses would save $232,000 in prison costs annually.

The special legislative task force is conducting an ongoing review of the state's marijuana policies. The nine-member panel is required to issue its recommendations to the legislature by March 31, 2010.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. For additional information regarding HB 7317, please visit NORML's 'Take Action Center' at: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/.