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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0193.025 2006-2008 10-Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Sunday, June 8, 2003 Tribune-Herald Ilo 8,~z3 1 unto usT WHAT n I ~ PAr~r of fihe.: ~ ~ EQUATION DoN`~ ` u u " `(ou UNDERSTAND LE55 POT ~1 MO!'C I'rloneY and McRc .F/ ~ + - for ~PERAT6N E%PfAl51~- MORE USERS 1~ARV~ UNABLE To AFFORD Po'T f _ ~ r ira s DRAG USERS fNEXPENSlVE, UNABLE To DESTR~cCrv~ BuY Mov.E. ' T/' J:r EXPENSIVE Pdf 1V ~~1^-1 PoT tF^J EP(DEM1G ! A~voc~E~ .~3 9 ri!. , a G~.~. ~ ~ Comm. No. ~Q Ref. To: Pc~s~seed ~ Ref. Dates-- G~S~;~e. r~nnns T~ ~R~~f~ F1NftV~ST' '~FJft C9UIYTRY'S 9r 'ICC' '~°~~'C ,~C~ ~~~~'~~~.~J off` ~~~`~~`0 '~b~' J~ T~nnns To aR~en FIARVtST' auR STAT['S ~n ~~ce~ National Institute on Ding Abuse 1991-1994 Final Report ICE and Other Methamphetamine Use: An ExpIorafory Study (Entire report has been removed from the N.LD.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 manluana which had become scarce and expensive due to eradication polities." (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 awell-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 aIl of their livelihood from, marijuana production. Robbed of this needed income many experienced considerable econornic 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 palcalolo." (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. IYs easier to get than weed. IYs 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) ~V L.~~~~~t~ HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN /SUNDAY, F1AY 14, 2006 dear prohibits®nssts: Please stop `helpsng' us Prohibitionists created, Look at the results. You supported and funded the have done more damage to Green Harvest marijuana Hawaii than all of our so- eradication program, which - ~ called enemies put together. caused a substitution factor of Terrorists? Osama bin Laden? marijuana users turning to North Korea? China? Russia? crack, heroin and crystal You prohibitionists ha~/e them meth, or "ice." Simple as that. beat by a mile. You couldn't Then you exported this failed " be bigger failures at protect- policy to other jurisdictions, : t ing us if you tried. which now also suffer ice epi- Gov. Linda Lingle, Lt. Gov. demics. If a criminal is one GATIIERIIVG Duke Aiona, state Narcotics who commits a crime or . Enforcement Division chief causes one to occur, you aze P~E'~' Keith Kamita, Big Island the biggest criminals in Mayor Harry Kim, Hawaii Hawaii history. Roger Christie County Councilman James How many of our children - Arakaki, Dr. Fred Holschuh, have you caused to be at- Larry Burnette and the Hawaii tracted to ice and crime? Who HE Associated Press High Intensity Drug Traffick- knows? You refuse to account now reports that co- ing Agency, just to name a for it in program reviews or Caine use is on the few, the community can't take any official studies or reports. rise on the Big Island your "help" any more. Now Who can blame you for that? I - again! I have a sincere mes- the Legislature has taken can. Too many of our neigh- sage for. all prohibition- away our precious constftu- bors and relatives rot in pris- minded citizens, lawmakers, tional right to privacy for our ons here and on the mainland, police, D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse electronic communications yet you're hoping to retire Resistance Education), the because of your -and their comfortably with big, fat pen- Drug Enforcement Agency and ~ -policy failures. Why should sions and cushy health bene- others who profit from the the good people of Hawaii be fits. failed war on drugs: Please made to suffer the loss of free- On your watch and because stop what you've foolishly dom for your prejudice and of your policies the people of and unconstitutionally been stupidity? Hawaii suffer for decades. No doing to us for decades. Give Hawaii used to be lovely. one gets fired for this, and you up and turn yourse]ves in for Marijuana cultivation and en- keep the failed programs go- treatment. Your addiction to a joyment was a key part of that ing. i will do my best to keep failed soc[al policy plus your loveliness. Prohibition de- shining a light on your malfea- continuous promotion of dis- stroyed it. You blew it. We all sance until this situation is information about cannabis is know that marijuana is at healed onceandfor all. killing Hawaii's right to pri- least medical, yet the Hon- Prohibitionists, you have vacy, domestic tranquility and olulu Police Department's stolen the liberty, the free- security. Your services aze no Web site still doesn't ac- dom, the health and the hope longer welcome. knowledge this fact. Mari- of our good people. Now we Juana is still scheduled in wantitback~ Hawaii law as having "no rec- Roger Christie is founder of the Why should the good people ognized medical value." How THCMinistry in Hilo,-Hawaii. of Hawaii 6e made to suffer can that be, six yeazs after the the loss of freedom for your medical use of marijuana be- prejudice and stupidity? came legal here?