Pubdate: Fri, 28 Mar 2014
Source: Garden Island (Lihue, HI)
Copyright: 2014 The Garden Island
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/Fyr3Cplk
Website: http://thegardenisland.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/964
Author: Tom LaVenture

POT LEGALIZATION CALLED POTENTIALLY DEVASTATING TO ISLANDS

Drug Summit Explores Consequences of Marijuana

LIHUE - The two-day Drug Summit opened on Thursday with a panel 
presentation on reducing unintended consequences of marijuana 
policies, and preventing the onset of an industrialized "big 
marijuana" industry in Hawaii.

More than 100 participants representing public safety, education, 
health and social services were at Kauai Marriott Resort for the 
event sponsored by Life's Choices Kauai, with the Coalition for a 
DrugFree Hawaii and Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

John Redman, executive director of Californians for Drug-Free Youth 
and a member of SAM's national team, said his intent is not to vilify 
marijuana, but to encourage a real discussion of unintended 
consequences before reforms or legalization is considered.

"We are really pleased after talking to legislators to see that 
Hawaii is taking a very careful and cautious look," Redman said. 
"That is difficult for them because they are getting such political 
pressure from people that want to legalize it and form a commercial 
industry here. I think that would be devastating to your islands."

Keith Kamita, Chief Special Agent of Narcotics Enforcement Division 
at the state Department of Public Safety, said what is on the street 
is no longer a natural weed in most cases, but a designer product 
that is dangerous, sometimes more than 90 percent THC.

Kamita said there were more than 60 marijuana-related bills 
introduced this past legislative session. Only four have moved 
through committees and are still being considered.

A bill would delete a provision requiring that only the primary care 
physician can recommend the medical use of marijuana. Another would 
add board certified pain specialist physicians, oncologists, 
ophthalmologists and board certified palliative care physicians to 
the list of medical professionals allowed to recommend a medical 
marijuana card.

Another would void a rental agreement provision that allows for 
eviction of a tenant with a valid medical marijuana card. The 
exceptions would be if an eviction for smoking tobacco is in the 
agreement, or if the property is a condominium or planned community 
association that prohibits medical marijuana.

Two House Resolutions would establish a statewide medical marijuana 
task force to look at issues including dispensaries. There were six 
bills for legalization or regulation of recreational marijuana that 
did not pass committees.

"Decriminalization is dead, and legalization is dead, but we still 
have the resolutions," Kamita said.

Redman said people need to look at the states where legalization has 
occurred to see what is happening. Look at marijuana issues from a 
science-based perspective and step away from the extreme 
representations of the emotional and political arguments, he said.

For Redman, the medical marijuana question should be resolved by 
taking the medical properties to create pharmaceutical grade drugs 
for people to access at that level. Criminal justice reforms need to 
address the stigma of arrest for small amounts.

Colorado and California were not legalized overnight, he said. It 
came after decades of working with decriminalization and medical 
marijuana permitting.

In the end, the industrialization of marijuana is mirroring the 
approach of the tobacco industry, Redman said. They aim for the 
young, the poor and minority communities, the groups that 
historically cannot afford addiction treatment and keep buying the products.

"Eighty percent of the profits of these industries are made by 20 
percent of the users," he said. "They are making money off of the addicted."

Redman referred to the National Institute on Drug Abuse study, where 
participants who used cannabis heavily in their teens and continued 
through adulthood showed an 8-point drop in their IQ between the ages 
of 13 and 38. Research has also shown that marijuana use can affect 
memory, judgment, and perception.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom