Pubdate: Thu, 03 Jan 2013
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2013 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: J. M. Smith

J.M. SMITH RESOLVES OUR MEDICAL MARIJUANA COLUMNIST TURNS OVER A NEW
LEAF IN 2013

Read three times and committed to the editor, Tucson Weekly, made the
order of the day and days henceforth until Dec. 31, 2013, and ordered
to be printed, Mr. Smith, medical marijuana columnist, reported the
following resolution concerning Medical Marijuana.

Sec. 1: Be it resolved that Mr. Smith will exercise more due diligence
in fact-finding. I've spent a fair amount of my Mr. Smith time telling
you what I think.

That's what I'm here for, largely, but at a certain point, telling you
what I think with a thinnish foundation of facts starts to sound
pretty empty.

I frequently burn 80 percent of my space on my opinions.

Sometimes that's too much. Who gives a fuck what I think, ultimately?
It's not like I am an oracle, sent by The Editors to enlighten you
with my astute Observations of The World and my nuances of
introspection. I'm just some guy who can spell, basically, sent by the
Mother of Invention to sell grammar to the Tucson Weekly. There's a
little more to it than that, but I guess I am saying I plan to lean
more toward real information in this space as opposed to the bullshit
opinions of some guy who can spell.

Sec. 2: Be it resolved that Mr. Smith, recognizing that his vernacular
can, in some circles, detract from his credibility, and recognizing
that a paradigm shift is in order for cannabis terminology, will make
a run at using more serious words and shit. Like the vast majority of
my readers, I started using cannabis long before its medical uses were
common knowledge.

I started smoking pot because it's fun, not because it was relieving
my neck pain. So when I started this column, I decided to recognize
the recreational underpinnings of the drug. I mostly suck at ignoring
elephants in the room, partly because it's my nature and partly
because it's my job. I am much more inclined to say, "Hey, look at
that!! There's a fucking elephant in the room!! Cool! Why is there an
elephant in here?!?! Whose elephant is this!? How long has he been in
here? Wow. Doesn't he get in the way?? This is awesome.

I like elephants." So I decided not to ignore the recreational
elephant in the room. As a result, I have taken some fire for not
being serious enough. But if you read past them, my stoner refs are
usually a thin veneer on thoughtful, fact-based writing.

But I'm not trying to alienate anyone, so in 2013 I plan to inject a
little more Watson and Crick and a little less Cheech and Chong.

Sec. 3: Be it resolved that Mr. Smith, recognizing that advocacy isn't
a sin and that it might even help advance the conversation, will
support the burgeoning medical cannabis industry in Arizona and beyond.

I've said a couple of times in this column that I'm not an advocate,
but I have pretty much come to the conclusion that I can't be the
Charles Barkley of the medical cannabis world.

Like it or not, I am a role model, so to speak.

It's starting to seem a little silly, given my role here, to cling to
the traditional (and very valuable and dear-to-my-heart) concept of
unbiased reporting.

Fuck that. I am a medical cannabis advocate.

There, I said it. I will continue to offer you facts about medical
cannabis, and I will certainly call the kettle black when it's black.

But henceforth I am considering myself a bit more of a medical
cannabis advocate and a bit less of an objective reporter. And I won't
feel guilty about it anymore ;)

Committed this First Day of January, 2013, and duly noted in the files
of the Tucson Weekly, a publication of Wick Communications.

Signed,

J.M. Smith
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MAP posted-by: Matt