I am increasingly struck by how absolutely delusional the prohibitionist party line on medical marijuana remains in the face of overwhelming evidence. Medical marijuana has to be a "scam" and a plot "to legalize all drugs."
See
Lester Grinspoon Attends Two Conferences On Medical Marijuana In Germany
And Our Drug Czar Says that Medical Marijuana Is A Hoax To Legalize Drugs
– Analysis Plus 2 Articles
and
Lie About Medical Marijuana,
But Admit That It Was Suppressed When It Was The Only Relief Available -- From the Mfiles
and
Is medical marijuana just the opening wedge to legalize marijuana generally?
and
Isn't legalizing marijuana just the opening wedge to legalizing all drugs?

Prohibitionist true believers are so totally convinced of this that they seem oblivious to any evidence to the contrary. They either ignore or misrepresent things with which they disagree like the IOM and House of Lords reports.

See
Prohibitionism After the IOM Report; Analysis by Richard Cowan
Repeat After Me: No Medicine Is Smoked! No Medicine Is Smoked! No Medicine Is Smoked!
That’s It. You Are Now Qualified To Start Your Very Own Government Funded Anti-Drug Group!
and
AOL and Disney Help The Drug Czar Encourage Children To Use Hard Drugs
By Getting Their Parents to Lie To Them About Marijuana.
Cynical Distortion Of IOM Report
Pseudo-journalism like the pathetic article below plays to this delusion, but it is presented here simply demonstrate the degrading of public discourse on the subject that the prohibitionist can get away with. While this is a part of the problem that we must deal with, it is also a part of the reason why we are winning.

The success of the various medical marijuana initiatives and the overwhelming public support shown for it in polls represents a complete rejection of the party line to which the prohibitionists are absolutely committed. They just keep digging themselves in deeper and deeper.

See
Gallup Poll Shows 73% Favor Medical Marijuana;
29% Favor Outright "Legalization"!
So What Are The Politicians Really Afraid Of?
One of the most cruel and insulting aspects of the party line is the claim that the patients are being deceived and used by the wicked legalizers. But this is also one of the prohibitionist’s most debilitating delusions.

The wealthy backers of Americans for Medical Rights are simply supporting a broadly held view of the majority. While they have spent a large amount of money in absolute terms, it is really very modest within the context of DEAland politics – not to mention the huge sums that are spent on prohibitionist propaganda focused at marijuana in general and medical marijuana in particular.

In short, the medical marijuana movement is based on the real needs of large numbers of people who essentially have no choice but to continue. Electoral victories and favorable court decisions have given them the encouragement they needed to be even bolder.
See
A Major Disaster For Marijuana Prohibition in Oakland
– Federal Appeals Court Rules For Medical Necessity Defense

Similar events in the UK, Canada, and Europe ensure that the medical marijuana movement cannot be stopped simply by police terrorism in DEAland.

See
Dutch National Cannabis Agency To Be Launched
To Regulate Cannabis Production for Medical And Scientific Purposes
and
Swiss MS Society Supports Medical Marijuana.
"Cannabis can be an effective alternative for patients that do not respond to ordinary drugs,"
Swiss Specialist Says.  -- Association for Cannabis as Medicine Bulletin
and
German Drug Czar Calls For Medical Marijuana:
"The suffering of patients with illnesses such as MS,
Cancer or AIDS could be eased with cannabis."
and
Canada May Begin Testing Medical Marijuana On AIDS Patients By The End Of The Year,
But They Are NOT Waiting On The Government.

Meanwhile doctrinaire opposition to medical marijuana has become a litmus test for the far right – the Death Wish wing of the Republican Party. This means that only the stupidest people can rise to the top, which is embarrassingly obvious in Florida.
See
Two Medical Marijuana Trials In Florida: State Drug Czar Says,
"I believe it is yet to be proven there’s anything medical about marijuana." -- 2 Articles
Over the longer term, this has had the effect of alienating opinion leaders who feel uncomfortable being on the same side as idiots. The fact that the idiots are wrong is a minor factor.

As the number of patients using cannabis grows, and as the amount of cannabis being grown also grows, the system is choking on its own victims. Even when they win, they lose, and it is getting harder and harder for them to win. The absurd prosecution of Steve Kubby and his wife has been a political disaster for the prohibitionists.
See
After Interview With Steve Kubby, Orange County Weekly Says
Arresting Him "May Have Been Prop 215 Opponents' Worst Mistake"

September 26, 1999

From The St. Petersburg Times
letters@sptimes.com
http://www.sptimes.com/
http://www.sptimes.com/Interact.html
MARTINEZ URGES GOP MAYORS TO FIGHT DRUGS

Former Drug Czar Warns That Legalizing Marijuana Would Send The Wrong Message To Children
(Marijuananews note: The fact that the topic is medical access does not stand in the way of misleading header.)

ORLANDO (AP) -Former Gov. Bob Martinez encouraged Republican mayors to do more in the fight against drugs, especially in the battle to combat the move to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Martinez, who served as the nation's first drug czar from 1991 to 1993, told mayors attending a meeting of the Florida Association of Republican Mayors that Americans have become too complacent in working to stem the tide against illegal drug use.

In any case, accuracy is not important in reporting on marijuana, except in getting the party line right, which this article does.)

Martinez, governor from 1986 to 1990, was joined by Secretary Bill Bankhead of the FLorida Department of Juvenile Justice, Orlando Police Chief Jerry Demings and Calvina Fay of the Drug Free America Foundation
See
Prohibitionist Propaganda Organization Issues Press Release
Offering Their "Expert Opinion" On The Appeals Court Oakland Ruling
in calling for a grass roots effort in stopping those who would legalize marijuana use.

To make the use of marijuana legal, even for medicinal purposes, they said, would allow for legal trafficking of the drug and legal sale and distribution without a prescription for such ailments as headaches, upset stomach and athlete's foot.

An estimated 1.2 million people in the state use marijuana, Martinez said. That is more than the number who consume the soft drink Sprite, he said.

(Marijuananews note: This would seem to indicate that current prohibitionist policies are not too successful.)

"If the manufacturers of Sprite have all those marketing people and distributors who promote the product and they attract less than eight percent of the population, you can imagine what is already going into the promotion of illegal drugs in our state," he noted.

(Marijuananews note: Whew!)

Martinez said legalizing marijuana sends 'the wrong message' to children. They have to know that drug use is not right, he told the mayors.

"We can see that when penalties for drug use are increased the incidence of other crimes are reduced," said Mayor Glenda Hood of Orlando.

The mayor's association was founded earlier this year to bring Republican mayors from around Florida together to discuss common issues. Saturday's meeting was the group's second.

"More can be done in the fight against drugs," Martinez said. "You have, at the local level, the added ability to deal with kids' issues and to energize young people in the prevention programs."

(Marijuananews note: The Times was careful not to seek out any opposing views.)