Gore says son 'getting the treatment that he needs'

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Former Vice President Al Gore's son is getting treatment after his arrest on suspicion of drug possession, according to a Gore spokesman.

Al Gore III, 24, was arrested early Wednesday in Los Angeles, California, after being stopped for speeding, according to a sheriff's department spokesman.

Police found four types of prescription drugs in the car, but Gore did not have a prescription for any of them, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino. He also said a small amount of marijuana was found in the car.

Gore must appear in court on August 1 to answer the charges, which could include felony drug charges, said Susan Schroeder of the Orange County district attorney's office.

He was released Wednesday afternoon on $20,000 bail.

In an appearance on CNN's Larry King Live, the former vice president said the family is dealing with the incident as a private family matter.

"We're very happy he's sought and is getting the treatment that he needs. Beyond that we appreciate the good wishes that have come our way," the elder Gore said. He added that his son is doing well.

According to Amormino, Gore was driving south about 2:15 a.m. in his Toyota Prius, going 100 mph on the San Diego Freeway, when authorities stopped him. Watch Gore leave jail without comment »

Amormino said a deputy smelled marijuana and searched the car, finding less than an ounce of pot, but also the prescription drugs Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Adderall. He said Gore did not have prescriptions for any of the drugs found in his possession.

One of the medication bottles had its label torn off and another was completely unmarked. Amormino said the amount of medication was substantial -- more than anyone would need for a medical condition.

"He did admit to smoking ... some marijuana shortly before the stop," Amormino told reporters in a brief news conference.

Gore had been booked into the Inmate Reception Center in Santa Ana on $20,000 bail. He faces three felony drug possession charges and one misdemeanor possession charge.

Amormino said the former vice president's son was not charged with driving under the influence because a drug expert determined he was not impaired.

He said Gore was "very cooperative" and was "taken into custody without incident."

The arrest comes days before Gore's father hosts an international concert to combat global warming.

The younger Gore has run afoul of the law before, including an arrest on a marijuana possession charge in 2003. In that case, police in Montgomery County, Maryland, pulled Gore over for not using his headlights. As with Wednesday's incident, an officer "smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the car," according to police.

In a 2004 plea deal, Gore was sentenced to a substance abuse program.

In August 2000 in North Carolina, police charged Gore with reckless driving and speeding for driving 94 mph in a 55-mph zone. The reckless driving charges were dropped later, but he was fined $125 for speeding and his driving privileges in the state were suspended.

In September 2002, military police ticketed him for drunken driving near a military base in Virginia. He was not taken into custody at that time. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Karan Olson and Traci Tamura contributed to this report.

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