Pubdate: Tue, 14 Oct 2003
Source: Garden Island (HI)
Contact:  2003 Kauai Publishing Co.
Website: http://kauaiworld.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/964
Author: Barry Graham, TGI Business Editor 
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

STATE - MORE MEDICAL-MARIJUANA USERS ON KAUA'I THAN ON O'AHU 

Kaua'i has 259 registered medical marijuana patients, second most in the
state. O'ahu has only 139, and Maui 121.

Since Hawai'i officials legalized the medicinal use of the drug in 2000,
only the Big Island (513) had more patients requesting marijuana permits
than Kaua'i. 

According to the state Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED), there are over
1,000 patients in Hawai'i who can use the drug for medicinal purposes.

Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii President Pamela Lichty said the number of
people approved to use medical marijuana "is really quite extraordinary
considering how little you hear about it.

"If there were problems, we would hear about it," she said.

The NED oversees the marijuana program, although it could move over to the
state Department of Health in the future.

According to the NED, a licensed physician cannot prescribe marijuana, but
can certify it for patients with "chronic and debilitating" diseases such as
cancer, HIV/AIDS and glaucoma, or conditions causing weakness, severe pain
or nausea, seizures, and severe muscle spasms characteristic of multiple
sclerosis or Crohn's disease.

If a physician feels marijuana is necessary for a patient, he or she fills
out forms developed for a medicinal-marijuana registry, which is handled by
the NED.

Division officials verify information submitted by doctors, then send them
certificates to sign and present to patients. The procedure takes five to
seven days. A patient must also register with the state Department of Public
Safety to avoid criminal prosecution for cultivation, possession or use
under state law.

According to NED Chief Keith Kamita, once a patient is certified to use the
drug, he or she may grow four immature plants and three mature, i.e.
flowering, plants, in order to use the drug. The total amount of marijuana a
patient can use is one ounce for each mature plant.

NED officials cannot investigate registered patients for potential
violations. They instead rely on county police to call division officials
whenever police suspect someone of growing marijuana, to see if the person
is on the registry.

"We've had many cases where they claim to be on and they aren't, or they are
on and have excessive numbers of plants," Kamita said. "They're still
arrest-able."

According to Kamita, the NED receives approximately 13 calls a month from
Hawai'i county police departments checking on potential violations.

The legislative law allowing medicinal use of marijuana in Hawai'i went into
effect on June 14, 2000.

The bill went into effect as a result of lobbying from the Drug Policy
Forum, which felt that marijuana was needed for the "compassionate and
humane" care of patients with debilitating diseases.

According to forum officials, "the mission of the agency is to encourage the
development of effective drug policies that minimize economic, social and
human costs, and to promote discussion and consideration of pragmatic
approaches to drug policy based upon scientific principles, effective
outcomes, public-health considerations, concern for human dignity and the
enhanced well-being of individuals and communities."
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