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The Arkansas Baptist State Convention has sent an e-mail to people on its list urging a vote against the medical marijuana initiative.

It’s a somewhat calmer recitation of reasons to oppose the initiative than the racially charged TV ad rolled out by the Family Council yesterday with the help of a Little Rock ad agency. It is also more factual. It acknowledges, for example, that approval by a physician is necessary for obtaining medical marijuana for specified illnesses, but argues that this is not the same thing as a prescription for scheduled drugs.

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I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the Baptist Convention that it’s a moral issue, unless you believe prescription pain relievers are a moral issue, too. I’d also argue with the Baptists’ dismissal of “intractable, chronic pain” as a justification for a marijuana certificate. The Baptist Convention says this condition cannot be “verified” by a doctor. By that logic, painkillers should be outlawed, too, as treatment for “unverifiable” pain.

Nonetheless, the e-mail is a shape of the campaign that will be waged against Arkansans for Compassionate Care.

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The full e-mail follows:

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