Montini: Why can DES chief push personal anti-marijuana agenda using state email?

The head of a large state agency has instant internet access to thousands of individuals with the click of a “send” button.

State law says that kind of power is not to be used to promote a personal or political agenda.

Although there appears to be an exception if you work for Gov. Doug Ducey. And you happen to have a personal political agenda he agrees with.

In that case it seemed to be perfectly OK this week for Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) Director Tim Jeffries to send all of the employees in his department a one-sided, questionable screed against Proposition 205, the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.

Jeffries opposes the proposition.

Fine.

That’s his right as a citizen.

What isn’t his right – or at least what shouldn’t be his right – is using his official access to state employees to push his point of view.

Jeffries’ office says that his email was “informational,” but that would only be true if both sides of the issue were represented.

Nope.

The majority of the email was written by Seth Leibsohn, a radio show host and member of Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, the group opposing Prop. 205.

So, state workers got just the side supported by Jeffries and his boss, Gov. Ducey.

Oh, yeah, and also supported by the drug company Insys Therapeutics, which is bankrolling the opposition to Proposition 205 to the tune of $500,000. The company told the media its donation was to protect Arizona’s children. It told the SEC a different story, however, admitting in a filing with the federal government that “legalization of marijuana or non-synthetic cannabinoids in the United States could significantly limit the commercial success of any Dronabinol product candidate.”

It’s not about kids. It’s about the bottom line.

Neither Ducey nor his DES director have been railing against drug companies like Insys for the abuse of prescription opioids that is sweeping the nation, destroying families and harming children.

Likewise, legal alcohol has had a larger negative impact on the family dynamic than any other drug.

Alcohol companies have supported Ducey’s campaign however so…I don’t expect Jefferies to send out any one-sided, negative “informational” emails on them.