HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0193.080 2006-2008 Green Harvest Funds Testimony
From Ken Pittsky and Georgia Pinsky
Hilo, Hawaii
June 1, 2007
Aloha Hawaii County Council,
Thank you for takittg the time to seek public input on the important
issue of continuing to support the Green Harvest program.
Our ohana is strongly opposed to any continuation of airborne
marijuana eradicatiott itt Hawaii County. This failed program has been given
far too long a test. It has produced several serious ututttended consequettces
for our community and has, in the ettd, done absolutely nothing to curb
marijuana use or production. And ttow medical marijuana is here to stay. The
poutttial for police raids on etttirely legal marijuana growers continues to
increase and in fact the county has already had to pay damages on this acrnunt.
Whether citizens use marijuana for health reasons or spiritual reasotts
they have the same rights to privary from government itttrusion into their
personal lives. The government has used the failed war on drugs to extend its
unhealthy curiosity into phones and a-mails and backyards and evett into
living room windows.
This cultural wat by the federal government into the private lives of its people
has clearly gone too far now and it is up to our local officials to protect us. The
US prison rate is shameful attd the war on drugs has eroded the very
foundations of dtmocracy by making people distrustful of government.
We all kttow by ttow that a strong majority of all Americans favor some
form of marijuana decriminalizatiott, especially for medical marijuana assets.
This sentimettt is evett stronger in Hawaii which, after all passed the country's
first compassionate use law. The tide has turned and it is in no ones lottg
term political interest to swim against it. Your constituents ezpect each of you
to support them on this, whether or not they could find time to be here
today. They all kttow that ettding this program is both your job and your
duty. You all know in yourgut that this is the right thing to do, morally and
ethically.
Thank you all for asking for the public to advise you on continuing
green harvest. We hope that you all open your hearts and mittds to the
righteousness of out request. Please do not let us down.
~a~xn. No. ~ ~ ~ ~
Ref. Ta ~ ~
Ref. Date ~IUN 7 2~D1