Anyone in front of a television during the 2003 Iraq War will remember Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the Iraq diplomat that was famous for making hyperbolic exaggerations as Saddam’s spokesperson while the advancing American forces where blitzkrieging Iraq.

Al-Sahhaf following in the footsteps of famous propagandist of prior wars such as Tokyo Rose and Hanoi Hannah famously announced hundreds of American soldiers were committing suicide and a denial that there were any American Tanks in Baghdad, when they were literally only a few hundred yards away from his press conference at the time.  Out of fairness, he wasn’t wrong about the suicides, he just underestimated the number, time and location.

Since when did his game plan of lies, fibs and exaggerations make it into California politics.  I mean, maybe he learned from us, I don’t know, but we can assure you, someone has borrowed his game plan of BS as it relates to Proposition 64, the “Regulatory Capture” initiative on the November ballot.  As one patient advocate said, Prop 64 takes Medical Cannabis in the Golden State from a right written into Constitution to a privilege granted by the political class, the same class who has done an outstanding job responding to the needs of Veterans and the suicide and overdose epidemic that is killing over 90,000 American’s a year.

America has a long history of using words that have no resemblance to the actual facts to garner visions of “Mom and Apple Pie” that no good red-blooded American can be against!  Our rebels are “Freedom Fighters” their rebels are “Terrorist”.  We call our fried potatoes “Freedom” fries vs. that six letter word “French” fries.  We are pretty sure the most accurate description would be horribly unhealthy fried starch.

The left’s new heroes Drug Policy Alliance, Marijuana Policy Project and of course the geriatric of the movement, NORML have picked right up where Al-Sahhaf left off.  Out of fairness, the DNC megastructure is behind Prop 64 too, so maybe, just maybe it’s a team effort.  Yes, that must be, because if the Democratic Presidential Primary taught us anything, the DNC plays fast and loose with the facts and we are not saying the GOP is any better.

Not a week goes by I don’t hear from someone who questions our opposition to Prop 64 / AUMA.  The invariable “you are going to miss out on being included in the post Prop 64 power structure” or ” it’s going to pass, everyone is for it, look at the polling numbers, 60% support legalization” or now we are hearing “70% support it.”  This leads to our standard answer, which is our intent is to advocate for those we serve and our motivation is not to be included in your political power play.

So maybe the better analogy is the WWF or World Wrestling Federation and its infamous Tag Team matches with DPA & MPP playing the part of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant while NORML is playing the proverbial “has been” aged wrestler who you can’t help but stare at his artificial appearance.  All managed by the DNC, playing all too well “The Mouth of The South” Jimmy Heart.  They would like to make you think the opposition of which we belong are the proverbial losers paid to take a dive as the massacre unfolds with certainty all but ensured allowing America’s political heroes to continue their fight against evil.

Well when I ask what polls people are citing, I hear the 60% poll favoring legalization.  Well that is rounded up and it’s about legalization, not Prop 64 and I along with many opponents support “legalization” but oppose Prop 64 or “Regulatory Capture” if truth in politics was required.  The 70% number, we can’t find, other than a poll number reflecting 18 to 24 year olds views on Prop 64 and well yes, that is true, and we all know you can count on that demographic to vote.  So it was with great surprise and glee that I reacted to the only poll I have seen asking specifically will you vote yes or no on Prop 64.  The results are in and 52% state they will vote in favor, 40% against and 8% are undecided.  Out of fair disclosure, I am always very skeptical of polls, but I am told this group gets an A, meaning, well I guess they have a good track record.  SurveyUSA Election Poll (Click here to take a look for yourself)

They say that amongst likely voters it’s a dead heat, 50% for and 50% against.  We don’t know if Prop 64 is going to win, we will be urging a NO vote as we have said, Prop 64 is bad for disabled Veterans, and no one can argue the Weed for Warriors Project doesn’t love its “Weed”.  Maybe we are a little too idealistic, but with so much on the line, we have to call out DPA, MPP, NORML and the DNC in California for their utter BS, BS that would make Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf proud.

For it’s not just the political parties that practice it, it’s their surrogate think tanks that claim impartiality while their financial coffers are filled to the rims by their sponsors, sponsors who have a very specific aim, an aim, that is always coincidentally aligned with the advocate groups they finance.  That is American politics I guess.  With Iraq, it was the American Enterprise Institute where my old boss was Chairman and with DPA’s, MPP’s and NORML’s view on Prop 64, they have aligned themselves with the for profit enterprises who have invested so much in the Marijuana Industry’s future.

Don’t take our word for it; take former Marijuana Policy Project’s, Dan Riffle, ex federal policy director for the powerful national advocacy group and one of the most outspoken advocates of cannabis legalization.  He quit his job a little over a year ago. As Riffle noted in an email to colleagues in early November 2015, the “industry is taking over the legalization movement and I’m not interested in the industry.” That same day, MPP announced a new political campaign funded by, get ready, marijuana industry revenues.

So the lies flow from the Pro 64 campaign unchallenged, because the enemy they want, is the prohibitionist.  What they don’t want is to acknowledge or debate us, a fighter for the rights of the sick, the disabled, and those that don’t have trust funds to participate in the new marijuana industry in California or more importantly, to donate to their burgeoning bank accounts.  Our challenges for a debate with DPA’s California head, Lynne Lyman went unanswered, a fellow Berkeley Grad who I thought would love to highlight the different perspectives for California voters allowing them to make an educated choice come November.  However, see, that is my naivety, because when it comes to Prop 64, the pro side is as America as Apple Pie when it comes to politics.

Lies and propaganda are the old and new normal.  It will always be until voters say no more.  Join us this November in rejecting Prop 64 on the merits not the propaganda.  All it would take is a simple debate, a debate we leave open to the powers to be.  We all know the police chiefs are easy targets in today’s political winds.  Why not acknowledge most cannabis advocates in California don’t support 64 and debate us, any place any time.  DPA head Ethan Nadelmann or MPP head Rob Kampia debating Bill O’Reilly is easy, debate someone who actually understands what’s going on in the trenches of the marijuana movement.  Debate us, The Weed for Warriors! – Sean Kiernan