VOTERS SHOULD REJECT PUSH FOR 'MEDICAL' POT

The "medical" marijuana proposition is a sham. It is an expensive
distraction as the state faces billion-dollar budget shortfalls for
years to come.

Yes, there is anecdotal evidence that marijuana can help some
patients.

But marijuana is not medicine. There is no standard dose. No uniform
potency. It has not been tested by the Food and Drug Administration
for safety or effectiveness. What's more, by allowing the use of
"medical" marijuana in Arizona to treat severe and chronic pain, this
initiative leaves the door wide open for fakers.

In arguing against Proposition 203, Will Humble, director of the
Arizona Department of Health Services, and Laura Nelson, chief medical
officer for the DHS, point out that more than 88 percent of those who
use medical marijuana in Montana cite pain. It is no coincidence that
a claim of severe pain is nearly impossible to disprove.

Humble's agency would be responsible for regulating the chaos that
would ensue if this proposition passes. This means setting up
standards and monitoring, including electronic verification for
dispensaries and "patients." Application and renewal fees may
eventually help with the costs, but the DHS has to establish the
system first.

The phrase "designed to fail" comes to mind, because if the department
misses the 120-day time limit to accomplish these tasks, the
initiative requires the DHS to accept all doctor-approved
medical-marijuana applications as valid.

This is not about allowing the state to set up a system to help those
with legitimate medical needs get pot. It's about making it hard for
the state to regulate an intoxicating, addictive substance.

If you want to know how easy it is to get a doctor's OK to use pot,
check out a California website called potdoc.com, which offers tips
and directions to centers offering "medical-marijuana
evaluations."

The potential for bogus recommendations is enhanced by the fact that
prescriptions can be written for children - parents get to control the
pot. "Designated caregivers" can obtain marijuana on behalf of a
"patient" - maybe Grandma can be cajoled or coerced into going to the
pot doc. The "caregiver" can pick up 2.5 ounces every 14 days. Party
time! A "designated caregiver" can "assist" up to five "patients." Big
party.

This proposition is a dishonest attempt to nudge the state toward
legalization of marijuana.

And it saddles the DHS with start-up costs even though the
department's general-fund budget has been cut by nearly 50 percent
since fiscal 2008. More cuts are likely next year.

If the DHS is busy tracking pot smokers, other projects will get put
on hold. Prop. 203 is a Trojan horse that will suck up scarce resources.

Reject it.