Emery, writing from a federal prison cell 2,000 miles away in Mississippi, said the opposition of Washington state medical marijuana patient activists to being subject to DUI arrest was “disturbing” and “absurd.”

Rather than just accepting Emery’s marching orders, I decided to check with some actual Washington medical marijuana activists on the ground to get their take on things. You know — those “foolish,” “dangerous,” “jealous” folks who look out for the patients.

Even among Emery’s staunchest backers, some were taken aback by the shrill, strident tone of his message. Several of those who read the statement said it seemed as if Emery had never even read the actual language of the measure he was endorsing.

“How ironic that I currently have far more respect for my former prosecutor and his proposed legislation that I have for those activists who would foolishly and dangerously oppose this great step forward over trivialities, much the same way as done by many so-called members of the movement who killed Prop. 19 in California in 2010,” Emery wrote. “Much of the Washington state opposition to I-502 is rooted in adversarial jealousy, because after three attempts, some activists just can’t get an initiative of their own on the ballot, so resent [former U.S. Attorney John]McKay, the ACLU and their backers who did manage to get I-502 on the ballot.”