Pubdate: Wed, 26 Mar 2014
Source: Garden Island (Lihue, HI)
Copyright: 2014 Associated Press
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/Fyr3Cplk
Website: http://thegardenisland.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/964
Author: Cathy Bussewitz, Associated Press

HAWAII LAWMAKERS HEAR ABOUT MARIJUANA DANGERS

HONOLULU (AP) - A group protesting the possibility of legal marijuana 
in Hawaii told lawmakers Tuesday that pharmaceutical companies would 
try to hook people on the drug.

The tobacco and alcohol industries serve as examples of what could 
happen if cannabis is decriminalized, said Dr. Kevin Sabet, 
co-founder of Washington-based Project SAM, which stands for Smart 
Approaches to Marijuana.

"Addictive industries rely on addicts for profit," Sabet said. "They 
can only make more money if they addict more people."

Bills to decriminalize marijuana were defeated in the Hawaii 
Legislature this session, but House Majority Whip Sharon Har said the 
state still must to examine the issue because of advocates' push to 
legalize the substance in Hawaii.

"We have to learn from the mistakes of other states," Har said. 
Colorado opened its pot shops at the start of the year, and 
Washington expected to launch sales later this year.

Lawmakers also brought up the topic because it's an election year, she said.

Advocates for decriminalization of marijuana attended the hearing to 
find common ground, said Pamela Lichty, president of the Drug Policy 
Forum for Hawaii. The group, which wants to see marijuana taxed, 
regulated and controlled, pushed for decriminalization in the 
Legislature. Many Americans have tried the drug, including the 
country's last three presidents, Lichty said.

"We should deal with marijuana using evidence-based research, and we 
don't feel that SAM works on an evidence-based approach," Lichty said.

Young people are particularly vulnerable being targeted by industries 
pushing drugs, even if it's unintentional, Sabet said. For example, a 
child might not be able to tell the difference between a normal 
cookie and one baked with marijuana.

States such as California that permit medicinal marijuana are seeing 
dispensaries pop up next to schools and churches, the group said.

People in Hawaii are already showing up every weekend in emergency 
rooms in states of psychosis after heavy use of synthetic cannabis or 
other drugs, said Sen. Josh Green, chairman of the Senate Health 
Committee. Some beat their partners during drug-induced psychosis, he said.

"Their significant other or spouse is there, begging me to help them 
find services to get them off the drugs," Green said. But the state 
doesn't have the resources to help everyone, Green said.

Some in the audience took issue with his remarks.

Severe reactions like psychosis may be associated with synthetic 
marijuana, but not regular marijuana, Lichty said.

A bill to expand the types of doctors that can recommend marijuana in 
Hawaii was also heard in a Senate committee Tuesday, but it was 
deferred until April 1.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom