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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0314.019 1996-1998 ~ ~ STATEMENT BY AGENT IN CHAR E SIDNEY A HAYAKAWA OF THE DR G ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION HONOLULU DISTRI T OFFICE MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL I AM HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 94 AND 116. THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA), HONOLULU DISTRICT OFFICE HAS BEEN THE LEAD FEDERAL AGENCY IN SUPPORT OF THE ERADICATION OF MARIJUANA, BOTH MANUAL AND HERBICIDAL, FOR MORE THAN TEN (10) YEARS IN THE STATE OF HAWAII. WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OUR ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS AS LONG AS MARIJUANA IS LISTED AS A SCHEDULE I DRUG UNDER THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT (CSA) IN FACT, AS PUBLIC SERVANTS, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THE STATE AND PEOPLE OF HAWAII TO CONTINUE TO ENFORCE THE FEDERAL NARCOTICS LAWS. BOTH THE MANUAL AND HERBICIDAL METHODS USED IN THE ERADICATION OF MARIJUANA IN HAWAII HAVE RECEIVED THE APPROVAL OF APPROPRIATE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL AGENCIES. WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) WHICH AUTHORIZES US TO EMPLOY HERBICIDAL ERADICATION ON FEDERAL, STATE AND INDIAN OWNED LANDS. RECENTLY, WE HAD A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT EVALUATORS FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE (APHIS), AND THE STATE DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH AND AGRICULTURE, WHO CONDUCTED AN ON-SITE EVALUATION OF OUR HERBICIDAL PROCEDURES IN ORDER TO UPDATE THE EIS. ~~m. ~0.3~4r ~19 F11e xo. VISC~ - lief. To;Prece~fnr~~~l ~f. JUL 0 2 1997 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I SUBMIT TO YOU TWO (2) SEPARATE DOCUMENTS (ATTACHED) INDICATING THAT OUR ERADICATION PROGRAM IS SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND SENSITIVE TO OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. LAST YEAR (1996) WE HAD THE DUBIOUS DISTINCTION OF LEADING THE NATION IN THE MOST MARIJUANA PLANTS ERADICATED IN OUTDOOR PLOTS. MORE THAN 500,000 MARIJUANA PLANTS WERE ERADICATED. JUST IMAGINE IF WE NEGLECTED TO DO OUR PUBLIC SERVICE WE WOULD HAVE 500,000 MARIJUANA PLANTS BEING CONSUMED BY THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII. THE ONLY WINNER IN THIS SITUATION WOULD BE THE DRUG TRAFFICKERS WHO CULTIVATE MARIJUANA AND MAKE A HUGE PROFIT. WE HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS ANY MARIJUANA CULTIVATOR WHO TOOK THE TIME AND MADE THE EFFORT TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT. EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT MARIJUANA CULTIVATORS TOTALLY IGNORE OUR DELICATE ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO MAKE A PROFIT. MARIJUANA HAS A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE AND NO CURRENTLY ACCEPTED MEDICAL USE. IN FACT, THERE ARE NO PROVEN MEDICAL APPLICATIONS FOR ITS USE. IN FACT, THERE ARE MANY MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS (I.E., AMERICAN GLAUCOMA SOCIETY, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, ETC.) THAT HAVE REJECTED MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE. STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THESE ORGANIZATIONS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA AND THE LACK OF SOLID RESEARCH DEMONSTRATING THAT ITS USE WOULD DO MORE GOOD THAN HARM. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM AND THE RELATED ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECT OF MARIJUANA, AND THEY CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ERADICATE THIS DRUG. OUR SENIOR SENATOR FROM HAWAII, THE HONORABLE DANIEL K. INOUYE IS A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF OUR PROGRAM AND EFFORTS TO ERADICATE MARIJUANA. I WANT TO COMMEND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL FOR TAKING AN INTEREST IN THE MARIJUANA ERADICATION PROGRAM AND WE WELCOME A REVIEW OF OUR PROGRAM. WE MUST CONTINUE TO UPHOLD THE LAW, PROTECT THE PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE STATE OF HAWAII. THIS CONCLUDES MY TESTIMONY AND I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. ATTACHMENTS : A/S ~G~/~ ~p~/ . S I DN~E~ HAY WA United States Animal and Biotechnology, ~ Department of Plant Health Biologics, and Agriculture Inspection Fsvironmental Service Protection September 30, 1996 Mr. Bobby Aiu Drug Enforcement Administration 300 Ala Moana Boulevazd Honolulu, HI 96850 Deaz I wish to thank you for the hospitality and consideration shown to us during our recent visit to observe an aerial Cannabis eradication mission on the Island of Hawau. Through our observations we believe we have gained a good understanding of the low level for potential human health and environmental impacts of Cannabis eradication programs using the unique aerial application'technologythst has been developed in Hawaii. Everyone associated with the mission was fi-iendly, professional, and extremely helpful. We were very impressed with the obvious display of cooperation among the numerous law enforcement agencies represented in the group carrying out the mission. We were also impressed with the consideration shown to sensitive natural resources and the concerns of the general populace. We believe that the Hawaiian program is an outstanding example that serves as a model Cannabis eradication program. Thank you again for your time. Sincerely, lack Edmundson Linda Abbott v Environmental Protection Officer Ecologist/Modeler Environmental Analysis Environmental Analysis and Documentation and ,D,/oJcumentation ~'S Leslie Rubin Toxicologist Environmental Analysis and Documentation gpMl$ - Prolecbng Amencan AgriculWre An Equal Oppgtlunity Employe LOSS-IL`rdx rd0[C ..,-1oii yr... u•V iV .ono~ivo«a rHGt 1/1 e L pages' r° P~~ r or Sldhe r~ fQ~ivl ~ ZTib' ~ 4iu Fax 4~c 91 °°'D`°`' DEA ~OCA~t[[- i'h 1o i. ~ ` wLo Ptlone N PI10lie N 8-111. p2~1D KONA UWRENCE Ym(E _I I `Y V warroa a ~.eu.t,. FaxM ~I 1 FuN q~~.. 022 ~F HONOLULU~HIX4.8q/ °a,~..,,~` MAUI KAUAI STATE OF HAWAII oCEA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH LAND MGMT. o. o. eox stc ST. PKS. MIlO, MAWAL 9H121dB16 DCFAW AQUATICS April 4, 1997 PROSECUTOR PROBATION Patricia Bailey, M.D. P. O. Box 2438 Kealakekua, HI 96750 Dear Dr. Bailey: wth regard to the concerns you raised last year about the spraying of herbicides on Big Island marijuana plants, I have received further information that I believe will help answer your questions about the health effects of the defoliam spraying on the local population. In October 1996, the Department ofHeaith and Human Services, Public health Services, and the Agency for To~dc Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR) in Atlanta, Georgia were all asked to assist in evaluating the potentia] threat to public health resulting from Big Island herbicide spraying by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Land and Natural Resources. An on-site defoliant spray application demonstration was observed by the Department of Health toxicologist. The toxicologist gave a detailed description of the application and his observations of the demonstration. Based on the specific "pin point" accuracy of the application technique, [he 1,000 foot buffer zone between the spray sites and residences, and the low toxicity of Glyphosaze, both the ATSDR's Regional office and Emergency Consultation Section concurred that this spraying event is unlikely to result in human exposure or to have any negative health effects. The spray demonstration was video-taped, and you are invited to view the video at ,mytime. Please iet me know if you are interested, and I will make the necessary arrangements. Thank you for sharing your concerns so we can follow up on them with the Department of Health and Human Services. Sincerely, M June T. Kunimoto District Health Administrator bc: Hrtice Anderson, EHM / Lenny Terlep, DLNR V/