The inclusion of substances such as LSD and PCP in the Washington initiative clearly destroyed any chance of passage the initiative might have had. Chief Gray is also in error when he accuses proponents of medical marijuana of wanting to legalize illegal drugs for entertainment purposes. The voters in Washington just proved that they make a distinction between medical use of marijuana and other illegal substances. Final Ruling, DEA Docket No. If anyone is responsible for creating a decrease in the perception of risk, it is the opponents of medical marijuana who have exaggerated the risks.
Credibility is an important tool in the fight against drug abuse.
Perhaps the most revealing thing about Chief Gray's letter is his praise of the intelligence that went to crafting Iowa's drug law. Iowa's drug law has classified marijuana as a medicine since 1979. If Chief Gray really means it when he says that police officials are ready and willing to fullfil their sworn duty to uphold the law, then he needs to take a moment to read the law and find out what it says.