COM 0140.022 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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National Institute on Drug Abuse 1991-1994 Final Report ICE and Other Methamphetamine Use: An Exploratory Study (Entire report has been removed from the N.I.D.A. website) Highlights of the effects of marijuana eradication on the 'ice' problem: "The use of ice in Honolulu had led to particularly serious physical and psychological problems and significant social disruption in poor working communities where it replaced marijuana which had become scarce and expensive due to eradication policies." (From the summary of findings) "There are thought to be several influences on the tremendous growth of ice in Honolulu after 1987. Residents were both pushed away from pakalolo, their staple drug of choice, and pulled toward ice by a well -organized marketing campaign by Asian distributors. Also, the overwhelming smokable drug of choice, marijuana or pakalolo, which has been grown and used throughout the islands for many years, became the target of a government eradication campaign. This drove up prices, drastically reduced availability and left locals without their customary, and many would say relatively benign, smoke. Also very importantly, many locals derived either part or all of their livelihood from marijuana production. Robbed of this needed income many experienced considerable economic hardship. Thus when a new, easy to use, smokable product entered the market, one which at first felt non -threatening to youthful novitiates — ice, it was readily accepted as a product to be used and sold. Initial users were often likely to think of it as a substitute of sorts for pakalolo." (Page 22) "An important finding emerging from this study concerned the effect on individuals and communities from the scarcity of marijuana due to the eradication campaigns. Users often reported this was a major contribution to the increase in the use of meth especially in Honolulu. In many communities it had a devastating effect. As one respondent reported: The ice use on the Waianae coast is greater than a lot of other places in the state. This is like a central distribution center for ice. It's a known fact among the drug addicts and users on the island. It's easier to get than weed. It's not much more expensive than weed either. The amount of people here that use ice is increasing because people who couldn't find weed were starting to find ice easier. Plenty guys I know use ice because they can't get pot. I'd rather see them smoking pakalolo cause they were mellow, nice people. On ice, they change into robbing houses and carrying guns in less than one month. Things they never did on weed." (Page 123) "Moreover, successful periodic campaigns designed to eliminate this "evil" herb, serve to steer the user to more dangerous substances. Findings presented in Chapter 7 on the social consequences of ice in Honolulu demonstrated that the latest version of the American campaign against marijuana continues to have the same unfortunate consequences." (Page 163)