COM 0314.045 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The result of the succe.,sfuI marijuana growing suppressron in the Hawaiian Islands has been: 1. To increase the price and potency of the marijuana grown, 2. To be sure that only desperate people willing to take the rlsk of imprisonment ase involved in the trade, 3. That the street dealer inevitably has other more dangerous, and in many cases less expensive, drugs to sell. There is general agreement among drug treatment people in these islands that the "ice" (smokeable metamphetamine) epidemic here is directly related to the scarcity and expense of marijuana. This has been particularly devastating in Hawau because of the absence of any prior knowledge of this substance. Marijuana is still avallable to adults willing to pay the price---to the casual occasional user the expense is still not greater than an evening of good scotch. The damage is to the young experimenter of limited means who has been denied meaningful drug education---limited in our school systems to "Just Say No" delivered by a police ofllcer instead of a teacher. I enclose a flier noting a conference to take place in Honolulu on the serious "ice" problem. It has been said there is no such thing as a free lunch. The federally funded helicopter marijuana interdiction is not free. It is hurting the very people this ennneil is elected to serve. It is taking limited police personnel away from their primary duties, protecting all of us from violence and crime---it doesn't matter that this vacation from real police duties is at federal expense. I urge the councll to pass on this year's federal marijuana interdiction subsidy. Who knows? Maybe the money will 8nd its way into a critically underfunded drug treatment program. I thank the councfl for the opportunity of addressing them. William B. Wenner, M. D. PO Box 895 Volcano, HI 96785 (808) 967-8095 (W) 327-2900 This testimony is delivered ahead of time so that you all have an opportunity to peruse it. I would be happy to clarify anything that is not clear.