The Return of Barthwell, and Police Chiefs Just Make Sh*t Up

The opposition is getting desperate and pathetic simultaneously. And yes, Andrea Barthwell has returned like some thrice-dead zombie.

But opponents of the idea, which included various Illinois law enforcement groups, say the bill is narly impossible to enforce and that even three plants would produce more marijuana than patients need.
They say this makes it more likely the drug will end up on the streets, especially in the hands of Illinois‰ youth.
‹The health and welfare of our children and the safety of our communities are the ultimate victims when the marijuana legalization lobby has its way,Š said Andrea Barthwell, CEO of the Human Resource Development Institute.
Opponents have become even more vocal since the Marijuana Policy Project launched an ad campaign earlier this month touting the proposal.
Eric Smith, president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, said drug cartel members posing as medical marijuana growers ‹are difficult, if not impossible, to detect in states with medical marijuana laws.Š
‹As a consequence, they can easily expand their influence and extend their reach into other communities,Š Smith said.
Barthwell, a physician, said the prescription medicine Marinol, which harnesses the active ingredient in marijuana for relieving pain and easing nausea, is sufficient for those who want the benefits of marijuana.

One of the things that amazes me about Barthwell is that she keeps coming up with new organizations to head up that mostly seem to exist to give her cover for making outrageous statements, and also to raise money to pay her. I already shot down her Illinois Marijuana Lectures (it was nice to see someone in comments at this article refer to that) and End Needless Death. I’ve seen her as head of several others as well.
Of course, Barthwell’s comment is totally devoid of content — just the usual for-the-children scare tactic.
And Eric Smith? This notion that “drug cartel members posing as medical marijuana growers ‘are difficult, if not impossible, to detect in states with medical marijuana laws'” is just… bizarre. It’s also convenient. I suppose if we asked him for proof that cartel members are posing as medical marijuana growers, he’d say he can’t provide it because they’re “difficult, if not impossible, to detect.”
Maybe they’re difficult to detect, because they exist only in your mind.
When you read the comments (and the update to the piece) you see how quickly irrelevant these idiots are becoming.
Update: see also Medical marijuana debate heats up

“There are many casualties in the Marijuana Policy Project’s campaign; the first is the truth,” Dr. Andrea Barthwell, chief executive officer of the Human Resource Development Institute, said in a news release.

Funny. Andrea said the word “truth.” Saying the word is about as close as she ever got to it.
Speaking of lies…

“It’s a fact that today’s marijuana is much more powerful and much more addictive than it was a generation ago,” Barthwell said. “Over seven million Americans suffer from illegal drug dependence, and more than 60 percent are dependent on or are abusing marijuana.”