Pubdate: Thu, 13 Sep 2012
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright: 2012 Globe Newspaper Company
Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340
Website: http://bostonglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52
Author: Chelsea Conaboy
Cited: No on Question 3 http://votenoonquestion3.org/

STATE VOTER GUIDE LISTS SPOOF SITE CALLING MEDICAL MARIJUANA A 
GATEWAY TO "TWINKIE ADDICTION"

The committee opposing a state ballot measure that would allow 
doctors to prescribe marijuana submitted a web address for the state 
voters' guide created by the Secretary of State without registering 
it. Now that address is home to a spoof site declaring medical 
marijuana a gateway to "Twinkie addiction."

"It's funny and upsetting, I guess, at the same time," said Kevin 
Sabet of Cambridge, a former Obama administration advisor on drug 
policy and a spokesman for the No on Question 3 committee.

The group sent out a press release saying proponents of medical 
marijuana were tampering with the democratic process through 
"underhanded efforts." But, Sabet said, the committee made a mistake.

The website includes a collage of celebrity faces, including Bill 
Clinton and John Stewart, declaring "No Marijuana Smoker Has EVER 
Been Successful," and Onion-like articles with headlines such as, 
"FACT: The Boston Red Sox are in Last Place Because of Question 3."

"There's a reason they were eating fried chicken in the clubhouse," it reads.

The vote-no campaign created an official site at 
MAVoteNoOnQuestion3.com. It has had a slow start in fundraising, 
bringing in just $600 to match nearly $1 million donated to state 
proponents of medical marijuana by Peter Lewis, chairman of the 
Progressive insurance company who has been advocating for such laws 
across the country. It officially launched its advocacy efforts with 
a small invite-only rally at the Massachusetts Medical Society 
Waltham headquarters on Wednesday.

The state voters guide is mailed to every household in the state and 
was shipped starting at the end of last week, said Brian McNiff, 
spokesman for the Secretary of State. The URL for the satirical site 
was registered on Tuesday.

McNiff said the web address in the online voter guide will be changed 
"as soon as possible." As of 2 p.m., it still directed people to the 
Twinkie site.

Jennifer Manley, spokeswoman for the Committee for Compassionate 
Medicine, said the group had nothing to do with the site.

"We want every voter in Massachusetts to be provided with the 
information they need to make a decision about this issue," she said 
in an e-mail and suggested people visit the campaign's official site.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom