Pubdate: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 Source: Mail Tribune, The (Medford, OR) Copyright: 2010 The Mail Tribune Contact: http://www.mailtribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/642 Referenced: Other Views: Smoke Screen http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10.n615.a09.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion) EDITORIAL SERVES ITS PURPOSE Our Mission Is to Stimulate Discussion; a Medical Marijuana Opinion Certainly Did The statement that appears below this and every other editorial in this newspaper reads, "The Mail Tribune offers its opinion pages to stimulate discussion and understanding of issues important to our community." Judging by the protesters who appeared in front of our building Wednesday, it appears we have succeeded. The protesters were upset about an editorial we reprinted July 31 from The Oregonian regarding an initiative on the November ballot that would change the way medical marijuana is dispensed to those who are qualified to receive it. The Oregonian's editorial board said it was not yet ready to take a position for or against the ballot measure, but it suggested the real motivation behind the initiative -- and the medical marijuana movement -- was eventual legalization of marijuana as a recreational drug. Offensive and disrespectful, howled the protesters. The editorial, they said, disparaged sick and disabled patients who are simply seeking effective treatment for their symptoms. Not exactly. The editorial disparaged those who use the medical marijuana law to obtain the drug legally but who do not suffer from terminal illnesses or severe symptoms unresponsive to conventional medications. Let's be clear about one thing: The editorial in question was not ours; it was The Oregonian's. In this newspaper, it was clearly labeled "Other Views" to differentiate it from the opinions of the Mail Tribune editorial board. We publish opinions on a wide variety of issues from a wide variety of viewpoints. We certainly don't agree with them all, nor do we expect readers to. That's the reason for the "stimulate discussion" part of our mission statement. So let's discuss. There is evidence that some severe and debilitating conditions respond well to marijuana, including the nausea that accompanies chemotherapy for cancer, or the loss of appetite and inability to keep food down that plagues HIV sufferers. That's why Oregon voters - -- correctly, in our view -- agreed to allow limited medical use of marijuana. There is also evidence that some people licensed to grow marijuana for patients are making money on the side by selling it to those without medical marijuana cards. And, as The Oregonian pointed out, of the 36,380 Oregonians with cards, 32,614 checked "severe pain" as their reason for needing the drug. Are the protesters who picketed us last week willing to swear that not one of those people was using the law as a way to use marijuana recreationally without fear of prosecution? We suspect not. As for the motivation of medical marijuana advocates, many are driven by concern for truly sick people seeking relief, and we respect that. We note, however, that a news release announcing the protest carried the endorsement of the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. NORML's mission, according to its website, is "to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty." As The Oregonian argued, that is an entirely different discussion. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake