Appointment of Carlton E. Turner as Special Assistant to the President for Drug Abuse Policy

The President today appointed Carlton E. Turner as Special Assistant to the President for Drug Abuse Policy. Dr. Turner now serves as the Director of the White House Drug Abuse Policy Office in the Office of Policy Development.

Dr. Turner serves on the newly established Cabinet-level Executive Board of the National Narcotics Border Interdiction System. He also assists the First Lady in her drug abuse education projects. He came to the White House in July 1981 as the Senior Policy Adviser for Drug Policy. Prior to joining the administration, he was the director of the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi. He has served as a consultant for various government agencies and private firms in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, as well as for the United Nations.

Dr. Turner is the past president of the American Council on Marijuana's scientific advisory board and was the 1982 Harry G. Armstrong Lecturer at the Aerospace Medical Association's scientific meeting. He has published over 100 scientific papers, patents, and chapters in books, and is coauthor of "Marijuana, An Annotated Bibliography," volumes I and II. In addition to extensive drug research, Dr. Turner has been involved in the training of Federal, State, and local narcotics agents since 1971.

He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi (B.S., M.S., Ph.D.). He is married and has two daughters. He was born September 13, 1940, in Choctaw County, Ala.