By Matthew Hendley | Phoenix New Times
“Just telling it like it is” with this made-up statistic.
CBS 5 — the local news station that claims to be “telling it like it is” — prominently displayed a made-up statistic during its recent anti-medical marijuana propaganda piece “investigation.”
In the report, in which “investigative reporter” Morgan Loew told the state health department it was true that he had severe and chronic pain, but then claimed he didn’t — yet also claimed he didn’t lie about it as he obtained a medical-marijuana card for the story — Loew also falsely claimed that 90 percent of cardholders got certified just for “severe and chronic pain.”
“Ninety percent of the certifications are for severe and chronic pain,” Loew says, while the graphic above was displayed. “Not cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, ALS, or any of the other specific illnesses that qualify someone for medical marijuana.”
That’s false, according to the statistics from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Editor’s note: In response to the TV story, Pinal County attorney released the following statement:
“This reporter’s investigation reveals the reality of the situation we now face in Arizona. According to the story on CBS 5, qualifying cardholders claiming severe and chronic pain account for 90% of all cardholders, 18-30-year-olds represent the largest demographic holding medical marijuana cards, and nearly half are under 40-years old.
“The implementation of Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Program encourages organized crime in our communities and enables recreational use of a Schedule One substance. Doctors recommending and providing marijuana, when there is no federally recognized and accepted medicinal use, and owners of dispensaries and cultivation sites subject themselves to potential prosecution.”
If you’d like to discuss medical marijuana, contact Ryan Hurley, director of the Rose Law Group Medical Marijuana Dept., rhurley@roselawgroup.com
