Pubdate: Wed, 18 May 2011
Source: Honolulu Weekly (HI)
Copyright: 2011 Honolulu Weekly Inc.
Contact:  http://www.honoluluweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/197
Author: Taxedtodeath

CORRECTING THE FACTS

Roger Christie is a political prisoner. Rapist, murders, thieves and
all manner of violent criminals get bail. Christie has no criminal
record, has served his country honorably in the army, and has operated
openly, inviting the police in any time they wanted. After over two
years of wire taps, surveillance and video by 13 agencies, there is
not a bit of evidence that backs up the slander Iolani posted [May 18:
"A Closer Look"].

If any of that were true why didn't the government charge him with
endangering minors? Where is her evidence? The police were monitoring
the THC ministry 24/7 for years, and she is saying the police saw
minors regularly getting marijuana and did nothing. Does any
reasonable person believe that? The police have many faults, but if
minors were involved they would have acted much sooner. I have been to
the ministry several times and known Christie for 20 years, and I can
say what Iolani posted is not true.

Clearly some people didn't like him, but he is an American, a veteran
no less, and if we are a nation of laws and still have a constitution
worth more than the paper it's printed on, Roger Christie is entitled
to bail. He is entitled to be able to mount the best defense possible,
he cannot do that from a prison cell. Both of those rights are being
denied in this case and, like him or not, that should concern all Americans.

Roger is in jail because people were listening to him: He was an
activist for over 20 years, helped pass the Lowest Law Enforcement
Priority Law, helped educate the legislature on medical cannabis, and
communicated his message to thousands of people. His message showed
that the policy itself is far more dangerous than the marijuana and is
now costing hundreds of billions of tax dollars every year. It's a
catastrophic failure. Marijuana is more available now than ever, and
drug abuse has gotten so bad under this policy that we now lead the
world. The violent drug cartels make billions of dollars supplying
marijuana and they are getting worse. Current policy created these
cartels just like alcohol prohibition created Al Capone.

If you do not recognize that the policy is directly responsible for
the results it has produced, all you need to do is look around the US
then look at places that have reformed cannabis laws. Those places
have up to 50 percent lower adolescent marijuana use than Hawaii
County. Look at what marijuana use was like before it was made
illegal: there was no real problem as far as I can tell, certainly
nothing like what we see today.

The marijuana war has raged here for 30 years, and it will not get
better as long as we keep doing the same things while expecting a
different result.

Free Roger Christie and give him a fair trial. But beyond that let's
destroy the black market and the crime it has created. Reform the
archaic marijuana laws now.

Taxedtodeath 
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.