I have NEVER claimed “there is no real medical value to cannabis” for the simple reason that I have many friends who are patients and for whom it is a godsend. Also, I have read extensively about its numerous medical uses.

What I did say is that “the medical system is a total farce”, because “It just needs to be legal.” That is my belief, and it is also the belief of Dr. Lester Grinspoon, who ended his book, Marihuana, the Forbidden Medicine, by noting that the medical potential of cannabis will never be fully realized until it is fully legal.

I do not think that patients want to have their lives depend on a loophole and to be at the mercy of the politicians and the narcs who will write the rules as narrowly as possible. That is another reason why I am in favor of legalization.

Of course, I recognize that the current “system” is important for patients until we can end marijuana prohibition, but that does not mean that we have to pretend that it is anything other than a sop to the police, who have been lying about it and ignoring the law for years without having to misrepresent what I said, the way Mr. Martin did.

I also think that, while we have this "system", anyone over 18 should be able to go to dispensaries to get medical grade marijuana, so they don’t have to by it from poly-drug street dealers. And that is a very major positive for public health. The Dutch call that “separation of the markets”, getting cannabis away from hard drugs. Would Mr. Martin prefer that I buy my marijuana from gang-bangers?

And, yes, I did “exaggerate” my medical problems when I went to the doctor, and I may now owe him an apology for my public candor, but also believe that every adult, myself included, should have immediate access to cannabis for medical problems that might arise when they could not get to a doctor to get a card.

I would also like to point out that Weedmaps.com, which does not pretend to be non-profit, encourages competition among dispensaries and has helped bring down the price of medicine – yes, medicine – for patients. As the WSJ article pointed out, “So many dispensaries have come along, the prices are dropping… Two years ago, his least expensive pot was about $60 for an eighth of an ounce. Now it is $45.”

And, even if Mr. Martin had not misinterpreted what I said, would it really be in the interest of the patients to “boycott” Weedmaps’ advertisers, which include many of the best dispensaries? The patients should not be pawns in anyone’s game.

Finally, I hope that in the future Mr. Martin will direct his anger at the patients’ real enemies, the narks and their prohibitionist allies, and not at those of us who are committed to helping patients in the real world.

Your fallacious argument that I somehow am anti adult use, that I would rather you get your weed from a gangbanger, and that I am somehow twisting your words is simply dishonest. Weedmaps is in no way responsible for the proliferation of cannabis dispensing collectives and to insinuate that you helped lower prices is just a weak attempt to distract people from your ignorant statements to the press that attack the very fabric of the work i have dedicated over a decade of my life to.

I was just noticing how this thing read like a good Sarah Palin speech. Full of platitudes and distractions, but not making very much sense in defending why you thought it was okay to take your dirty little secret to "the mainstream media."

Mr. Hartfield,

Thank you for your response, all be it still very shortsighted and dishonest. The term "farce" in itself does imply that there is no medical value to marijuana, plain and simple. You can play semantics and word-games, but in reality when you call something "absurdly futile proceedings, mockery" which is exactly what "farce" means, please tell me what it was you were trying to say?
To twist the words of Dr. Grinspoon to suit your needs is unsavory and non-relevant. Dr. Grinspoon would never be caught calling patients having access to cannabis medicines in any way a farce. Because you personally live a lie, you wish to project that lie onto an entire community, in the WSJ and AP no less. What exactly were you trying to accomplish?
As a person who has laid down my freedom for this movement I would demand that you find a more clear tone of respect and humility in our next communication. You are the jackass that went to the national media spewing venemous rhetoric about this farce we are all a part of. You my friend are the genius that decided the Associated Press was a great forum to "be honest" about "the medical system." You are the one who decided your personal opinion was worth discrediting the work of the pioneers who even made it possible for you to run your weak and outdated site. Yes, Mr. Hartfield. You can apologize to us all whenever you see fit. We will be waiting.
I know many people who will be looking elsewhere for the services you provide. Your ego is astonishing, as you still cannot understand the damage you have done to this movement across the nation. Thanks. I sure hope it was worth it. How is you 15 minutes working out? I will be awaiting a more formal apology in the future I would hope.

Good Day,

Mickey Martin

If you want to put people down for thier viewpoints on cannabis, you are ignorant. Something you need to understand Mickey, is that the cannabis centers don't specialize in cannabis for getting stoned, they say it's only for medicine, well, part of getting medicated is getting stoned, as the Bhuddist monks say, relax your mind as well as your brain. So, I think all these posers like you that are growing our plants with lightbulbs and chemicals like "Miracle Gro" and are total rude stingeface idiots, should have some respect for other viewpoints and not attack them with your bogus lame illegitimate website. You are a genaric, spook, imitation, bandwagon, snitch. Later.

I suppose you are Mr. Hartfield or one of his lackeys and you are obviously uneducated on me, cannabis, and spelling in general. "Cannabis centers?" What exactly is that? Being medicated may have a side effect of euphoric feeling, but "being stoned" is a different mindset altogether. Maybe you have no clue, but I do not grow currently because of the federal government, but I would be happy to show you a video of my facility. Growing indoors, "under lights," is recommended for medicine to control the environment better and avoid contamination that can be present in outdoor environments. I have never used MiracleGro for cannabis. How does that work? You seem to know more than I. I like organically based nutrients for my medicine, grown in an inert soiless mix. What is your method tough guy? Apparently my website is legit enough to spark your attention. This is my personal blog and has been a great site to use as an outlet for my concern over, well, people like yourself. We can do this all day, but the name calling is unnecessary, so have some respect while visiting, or go back to the hole you crawled out of. Be well.

And they are now trying to use their profits to legally stop another competitors site (kushmasters.com) from operating.

With questionable SEO tactics they have "corralled" a large portion of internet traffic consisting of patients and vendors.

weesmoke.com is a small site with very low traffic that is only really used locally and I guarantee it makes only enough to pay for it's own hosting if not less.

I work at a co-op and they just do not treat you right unless you get there advertising! I know use weedblogs and I am much happier.

What a sad day. I just finished reading the WSJ article. If you wish to read it you can find it here http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124829403893673335.html
Justin hartfield you have slapped many people in the face with your comments. And I am in total favor of boycotting your site. In fact I have started a new site at www.socalbudreviews.com where every provider can list for free. Justin is also charging doctors 20 bucks for every person that he sends their way and the AMA American Medical Association ethics codes say that this is unethical.
Justin Hartfield is money hungry and greedy and will eventually end up ruining a good thing.

Join the members area at www.socalbudreviews and have your dispensary or delivery service listed for free.

My goodness I believe so. Hey Justin now you have a face. How dare you make such damaging comments. You are a disgrace to the MMJ community and since you are not really a MMJ patient but rather a liar, I petition that you have your MMJ recommendation revoked. You are on countless videos smoking marijuana but you have no real ailments. The only farce is you. If anyone would like to see MR. Justin Hartfield go here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc9qGCDZAJE
You can see him smoking marijuana to medicate his fake illness. What a jerkoff.