One of the many “alternative facts” posed by the Trump administration targets the biggest contemporary public health issue in the United States: the opioid epidemic.

On Feb. 23, press secretary Sean Spicer linked the opioid epidemic to recreational marijuana use. This is part of an attempt by the Trump administration to enforce federal regulations on marijuana, even in states where it has been decriminalized. Focusing his attention on a link between marijuana and opioids that lacks scientific support is counterproductive. This is unfair to the millions of victims who have suffered through the epidemic alongside their families and friends.