The opposition to Proposal 1, the Michigan medical marijuana initiative, is going on the air with this new TV ad -- a spot so egregiously dishonest that even my very jaded jaw dropped when I saw it. It may set an all-time record for the most lies ever packed into a 30-second commercial, spoken by a narrator over grainy, black-and-white footage of what purports to be a medical marijuana dispensary. The most obvious:

1) California's medical marijuana law is "just like Proposal 1." No, it's not. California's law has almost none of the limitations and restrictions the Michigan proposal does -- including a defined list of qualifying conditions and a mandatory patient registry and ID card system. And unlike California's law, Michigan's initiative does not authorize dispensaries. Period.

2) "Hundreds of pot-smoking clubs opened in strip malls all over the state. They grow pot there. They smoke it there. In every neighborhood." Even if this had the slightest relevance to Michigan (which it doesn't -- see above), the statement is just plain false. I say this with some certainty, since I live in San Francisco, perhaps the most medical marijuana friendly city in the state. California dispensaries are not in every neighborhood: Most communities have none at all, while others have strictly regulated where they can locate. Many do not allow smoking on site, and almost none grow on site.

I happen to think medical marijuana dispensaries -- when appropriately regulated and well run -- are a perfectly fine thing, but they are simply irrelevant to the Michigan debate. But the opponents know the facts won't help them, so in desperation they resort to shameless lies.

Please take a second to learn the truth about Proposal 1 and how you can help.

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It turns out that three of the Massachusetts district attorneys leading the fight against Question 2, the Massachusetts marijuana decriminalization initiative, admit to having used marijuana themselves in the past. To our knowledge, they have yet to explain how their having criminal records that would have barred them from their present careers would leave the state  better off.

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You may remember a few weeks back when Dan posted a couple of John Walters's question and answer segments from a drug czar press conference where Walters claimed that "finding somebody in jail or prison for a first time, non-violent offender [sic] for possession of marijuana is like finding a unicorn."  More recently, Ben found plenty of unicorns by Walters's definition.

Over at MPP-TV, we decided to take a look at the drug czar's numbers and do the math ourselves ... and came up with this video on his bizarre claims. Enjoy!

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Drug Czar John Walters claims that finding a first time marijuana offender in jail for possession is like finding a unicorn. Here's what we think.

You know what you can get for just seven cents per day? Not much! But, just seven cents a day will get you a MPP membership and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you are helping the nation’s number one marijuana policy reform organization.

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There is evidence that marijuana may work synergistically with opioid pain drugs, allowing equal or better relief with reduced doses of narcotics and reduced development of tolerance to the drugs. But most of this evidence comes from animal studies, so data from human clinical trials is urgently needed.

Dr. Donald Abrams of the University of California, San Francisco, is doing just such a study right now and needs volunteers who are suffering from chronic pain and currently taking OxyContin or MS Contin. Compensation and assistance with transportation to San Francisco are available. If you or anyone you know might be eligible to participate, please check out the details here and consider joining this important effort.

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Dealing with White House drug czar John Walters increasingly feels like a trip into some sort of alternate universe. Last week he told The New York Times that he supports a Mexican government proposal to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana or other illicit drugs. 

How shocking is that? Well, in a March 19, 2008, press release, deputy drug czar Scott Burns called a New Hampshire proposal to impose a $200 fine rather than jail time for possession of a small amount of marijuana "a dangerous first step toward complete drug legalization."

Mexican President Felipe Calderón's proposal is much more sweeping than the New Hampshire bill, applying not only to marijuana, but also to drugs like cocaine, heroin, and meth. And there would be no fine at all, just drug treatment for those who are addicted or drug education for those who aren't. And yet our drug czar told The Times, "I don’t think that's legalization."

Hypocrisy, thy name is John P. Walters.

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What else will happen on November 4?

As Bruce Mirken pointed out in another post, Rep. Mark Souder, a stalwart drug warrior, may lose his seat in Congress this year.  Souder’s possible departure is part of a larger trend of drug warriors losing elections to more sensible candidates.

This change is largely due to the unpopularity of President Bush and the fact that most virulent prohibitionists have maintained close ties with his policies for the last eight years.  Their departure is significant for MPP and other drug policy organizations that hope to pass legislation in the next Congress.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the more exciting contests. 

Kentucky Senate Race:  Senator Mitch McConnell (R) v. Bruce Lunsford (D)

Sen. McConnell is currently in a dead heat with his opponent, Democrat Bruce Lunsford.  McConnell prides himself on securing millions of dollars in federal funding for marijuana eradication in Kentucky.  Come November, he may be seeking a new job.

Florida’s 24th District:  Congressman Tom Feeney (R) v. Suzanne Kosmas (D)

Rep. Feeney introduced an amendment in 2003 that would have forced federal judges to hand down harsh sentences to minor drug offenders and has opposed every sensible piece of drug policy legislation that’s come across his desk.  His opponent, Democrat Suzanne Kosmas, is currently leading by a 23-point margin. The only catch here is that Kosmas supported the Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act, a Florida law that MPP opposed. However she has supported alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders.

Colorado’s 4th District:  Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (R) v. Betsy Markey (D)

Rep. Musgrave has been a consistent opponent of medical marijuana legislation in Congress.  In 2006, Musgrave took significant contributions from the National Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association while opposing a Colorado initiative to legalize adult marijuana use.  She’s currently losing to Democrat Betsy Markey by nearly 10 points.

Florida’s 8th District:  Congressman Rick Keller (R) v. Alan Grayson (D)

Rep. Keller has pushed for legislation to increase penalties for marijuana users and has always opposed medical marijuana legislation.  He currently trails his opponent by 4 points.

Michigan’s 7th District:  Congressman Tim Walberg (R) v. Mark Schauer (D)

In a state where MPP hopes to pass a medical marijuana initiative this fall, Walberg stands out as a strong opponent to medical marijuana legislation in Congress.  He is currently losing by 9 points to his Democratic rival.

Washington’s 8th District:  Congressman Dave Reichert (R) v. Darcy Burner (D)

Rep. Reichert, despite hailing from a medical marijuana state, has opposed efforts to protect Washington’s state law from federal interference.   He currently trails by 3 points in the polls.

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I don't know how much attention this is going to get in the press, but this strikes me as an extraordinary – and as far as I know, unique – instance of cowardice and cruelty:

SILVER CITY, N.M. (AP) — A woman was told to move out of her apartment when the landlord discovered she has marijuana for medical use.

Bobbie Wooten, 47, uses a wheelchair because she was paralyzed from the waist down in a car crash several years ago and suffers severe spasms. She joined the state's medical marijuana program when it went into effect last year. ...

"My lease provides for a drug-free environment," said David Kotin of Kay-Kay Realty. "Obviously, she is in violation of my lease."

I suppose Kotin will also be going through the building checking for beer, Tylenol, and coffeepots now, right? That, or he and Kay-Kay Realty are unforgivably stupid, intellectually lazy, and inhumane. Or both.

Has anybody out there heard of similar instances of housing discrimination toward qualified medical marijuana patients operating within legal limits?

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We have special feelings for Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) here at the Marijuana Policy Project, because a few years ago he called our executive director, Rob Kampia, "an articulate advocate for an evil position." Souder is perhaps the most implacable foe of medical marijuana in the U.S. Congress. And he may be in trouble.

Last week CQ Politics, which tracks House races, changed its rating of Souder's Indiana 3^rd District from "Republican Favored" to "Leans Republican," writing that "Republican strategists are concerned about Souder, even though he represents a strongly Republican-leaning district."

His latest troubles involve a report that he sought a congressional earmark for a company in which he owned stock. That would seem to be a pretty blatant ethical no-no, even though Souder's stock holdings were fairly minor. 

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The Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care, the committee backing Proposal 1 on the state's November ballot, has gone on the air with its first TV spots. One commercial features George Wagoner, M.D., whose wife Beverly died of ovarian cancer in 2007. The other features Deb Brink, a registered nurse and four-time cancer survivor.

The initiative has been endorsed by many of the state's leading newspapers, including the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, and Lansing State Journal. MCCC has assembled a collection of recent news clips, including the endorsements.

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