We’re in the midst of an opioid epidemic, with insufficient funds and treatment facilities for the addicted to seek help. The president has declared it a national emergency. So naturally it’s time to crackdown on marijuana.

At least that seems to be the intent of Attorney General Jeff Sessions who has sent out letters to states that have legalized recreational marijuana that the governors inferred were critical of their efforts or ability to prevent marijuana-related automobile accidents, to stop illegal shipping of their states marijuana to states where it hasn’t been made legal, and to keep marijuana out of the hands of underage citizens.

The criticisms are based on a report from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, made up of law enforcement officials, federal and state, and I would call them suspect. Law enforcement has historically had a less welcoming stance towards medical or recreational marijuana legalization, and statistics are notoriously easy to distort.

Take traffic deaths. There is no accurate way of determining if someone is intoxicated on cannabis, only if they have used marijuana in the recent past – days to weeks sometimes. So even if there is cannabis in their blood, it may not have still been affecting the drivers at the time of the accident. Often these crash victims also have alcohol or opioids in their blood, and those may have been the real culprit.

Also, accidents involving cannabis users are usually less severe, less often fatal, because they are usually driving slower. And the higher statistics also may be the result of more honest self-reporting since it isn’t illegal to simply possess marijuana in these states.

As for use by minors, other reports – including by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – have found it decreased since legalization.

So far the US Congress has prevented enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states where it is legal, but Sessions seems to be looking for evidence or a loophole to change or get around the legislature. The US has more serious threats to deal with, including finding substance use disorder treatment for everybody who needs and wants it.