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Council Members ~ ~ ~ - - 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 'u2 GG i 2~~ F'~1 ~ C~ fie: Marijuana Eradication Program r ®ear Council Member: I am a retired businessman and resident of Kailua-Kona. I am a voter, a veteran and, like you, a person that loves the people of our state and our county. My wife of thirty-one years is a votec and retired educator by profession. E!t present, she contributes to the community as a responsible supervisor in a local commercial business. We have two children that attend the Hilo branch of the University of Hawaii. We are both practical and well educated. We have high standards and value family, community and country. We are both concerned about our children and the children of our many friends within the community. With alarm, and growing distress, we continue to read about the "success" of the MEP (Marijuana Eradication Program). Unfortunately, as discussed in newspapers, on the Internet, in our local restaurants and in conversation with the young people of this island, we can verify that the "success" of MEP has resulted in a drastic increase in the use of alternate drugs g ICE in particular. We should not be attacking marijuana, we should be attacking the more lethal, addictive, psychologically altering drugs such as crack cocaine, heroin (as spotlighted by a recent broadcast television special), ICE and all the variants of these drugs that are being masterfully packaged and marketed to our children. It is obvious that the decreased availability and the increased price of marijuana have inadvertently made other "designer drugs attractive to our children. This is a basic concept in any marketing strategy price elasticity g when the price rises too far, too fast, the customer seeks a more reasonable substitute, even if quality and results are not equivalent. T'he basic concept of the MEP is to curtail drug usage. This is a noble cause and it is not wrong in principle. However, it has become obvious to all parties that eradication of marijuana has not achieved the desired effect. Quite the opposite has occurred ~ our children, armed with their youthful curiosity and peer pressure, have been pushed towards more dangerous drugs by the MEP! We ask you, and the other members of the council to vote to ST®P the marijuana eradication program N®W. If you hesitate, more children will be lost to ~omrn. No. ale No. "`.'`.z: $Zef. To: def. Date- (1~ ~ ~