Pubdate: Thu, 28 Mar 2013
Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser (HI)
Copyright: 2013 Star Advertiser
Contact: 
http://www.staradvertiser.com/info/Star-Advertiser_Letter_to_the_Editor.html
Website: http://www.staradvertiser.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5154
Author: Gordon Y.K. Pang
Page: B3

TOP COPS JOIN ANTI-POT RALLY

Law enforcement officers joined community groups and individuals at a 
rally at the state Capitol on Wednesday to show their opposition to a 
bill that would decriminalize possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana.

Senate Bill 472 has won approval from the state Senate and is making 
its way through the House. April 8 is the deadline for a vote on 
final passage in the House.

Attending the rally were about 200 people, roughly three-fourths of 
whom wore the dark blue uniforms of Hawaii police officers. Among 
them were the police chiefs of the Honolulu, Hawaii and Maui counties.

Alan Shinn, executive director of the Coalition for a Drug Free 
Hawaii, coordinated the rally under the umbrella of the newly formed 
Hawaii SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) Project.

"We've got some momentum here and we want to discuss marijuana policy 
issues in a different way if we can," Shinn said, saying not enough 
exposure has been given to marijuana's harms during the current debate.

After the rally, Shinn said he is not necessarily opposed to 
decriminalizing marijuana, but believes any such legislation needs to 
be accompanied by stricter prevention, intervention and treatment provisions.

State Rep. Marcus Oshiro (D, Wahiawa, Whitmore, Poamoho), who also 
opposes the bill, showed reporters a snack-size plastic bag holding 
catnip rolled into 17 cigarettes to display what 20 grams of pot 
would look like.

Under the latest version the House approved earlier this month, the 
bill calls for reducing the penalty for adults found guilty of 
possessing up to 20 grams to a civil fine of up to $100. It would 
keep possession by a juvenile a petty misdemeanor criminal offense 
while also raising the stakes by suspending their driver's licenses.

House Judiciary Chairman Karl Rhoads (D, Chinatown, said he believes 
the bill has the votes to pass the House but expects it to be close.

Rhoads said he doesn't think the bill is a major change from the 
current law because he does not believe those hit with a criminal 
charge for a first offense get a significantly higher penalty, if at 
all, under existing law. "Symbolically it's important," he said.

Pamela Lichty, president of the Drug Policy Action Group, said being 
convicted under the current law leaves a criminal record. "We've been 
trying the law enforcement approach to this now for way more than 30 
years and it hasn't really worked," Lichty said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom