Pubdate: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 Source: East Valley Tribune (AZ) Copyright: 2013 East Valley Tribune. Contact: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/opinion/submit_a_letter/ Website: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2708 Author: Mike Ross POLICE, POLITICIANS AGAINST MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR WRONG REASONS Let's not let Arizona's Medical Marijuana Act get in the way of the "War on Drugs", which is basically a full employment jobs program for cops. Proposition 203 clearly says that ALL forms are marijuana, which includes concentrated forms of pot like hashish and hash oil are legal for medical marijuana patients: "ARS 36-2801.7 'Marijuana' means all parts of any plant of the genus cannabis." But despite that the cops are falsely arresting medical marijuana patients who use concentrated forms of marijuana like hashish and hash oil and charging them with possession of CANNABIS, which the cops say ISN'T marijuana. That is also why Arizona DHS Director Will Humble says that 5 year old Zander Welton can't have his marijuana medicine which will stop his seizures. You can't expect a 5 year old to smoke a joint, so Zander Welton is supposed to put hash oil under his tongue so his body will absorb the beneficial CBD which stops the seizures. But cold, cruel, uncaring Will Humble says hash oil is a crime, not medical marijuana. Even with Prop 203 it's still a crime to drive when you are stoned on pot. The only exception is medical marijuana users are not considered guilty of DUI because they have marijuana metabolites in their body. Marijuana metabolites can stay in a person's body for weeks after they have smoke a joint and don't mean a person is stoned. But despite that the cops are falsely arresting stone-cold sober medical marijuana patients for DUI, simply because they have marijuana metabolites in their body. The cops use the convoluted, cockamamie logic that because medical marijuana is "recommended", not "prescribed" like other drugs that Prop 203 doesn't mean what it says. If the police and politicians hate Prop 203 because it cuts into their "war on drugs" jobs program, they should at least obey the law, while they attempt to change it. The same thing we did before we passed Prop 203. Mike Ross Tempe - --- MAP posted-by: Matt