Pubdate: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 Source: East Valley Tribune (AZ) Copyright: 2010 Wayne Phillips Contact: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/opinion/submit_a_letter/ Website: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2708 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n669/a04.html Author: Wayne Phillips TALK ABOUT CANNABIS WITHOUT THE BIAS Regarding "Who says marijuana is good medicine?" op-ed of Aug. 18: If dialogue denouncing legitimacy is to be taken as anything beyond obstructive rants, Alex J. Romero might want to reconsider, for starters, how he contextualizes cannabis. Calling cannabis "marijuana" demonstrates an overt bias against this beneficial medicinal plant; by extension, the term "marijuana" is a derogatory slur against those who use it. In Romero's case, as co-founder of Arizonans for Drug Free Youth and Communities, a board member of Drug Watch International, and on the community outreach committee of KeepAZDrugFree.com, his affiliations denote his position in advance; meaningful discourse is not in the cards. Nor is Romero likely to jeopardize his livelihood by deviating from his talking point. Drug Free (zero tolerance) is not a position meant to encourage dialogue; it's a "my way or the highway" approach required by funding agencies. In essence, Romero, is paid to be disingenuous. Contrasting "licensed (therefore correct) physicians" (from Arizona) with "a handful of doctors getting rich" (in other states with similar laws) implies unscrupulous doctors and dishonest patients collusions. True to form, Romero convolutes the issue by mixing half truths, outlandish hyperbole and spin, all conveniently parsed so that the fundamental issues surrounding the ad hoc prohibition of cannabis isn't even mentioned. Wayne Phiilips, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake