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