Pubdate: Tue, 30 Apr 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: Vincent Callagher

CHANGES RESTRICT ACCESS TO MARIJUANA

State Sen. Josh Green, chairman of the Senate Health Committee, is 
responsible for some very hateful, non-compassionate changes to the 
bill on the compassionate use of marijuana.

One of the changes made last week by Green would require a 
primary-care physician to recommend and certify patients and 
caregivers. We all know how few doctors there are available in 
Hawaii, not to mention their fear to recommend cannabis due to 
intimidation and exposure by Keith Kamita and the state Narcotics 
Enforcement Division.

As the law stands now, any physician can recommend cannabis, which is 
necessary because of the lack of physicians in Hawaii. Needing a 
primary-care physician to recommend and certify patients and 
caregivers makes medical marijuana unavailable to a large majority of 
patients. This certainly appears to be a thinly veiled attack to make 
medical cannabis unavailable to the patients in Hawaii.

Contact your legislators immediately and ask them to stop these 
changes. Their names are available at http://www.capitol. hawaii.gov.

Vincent Callagher

Keaau, Hawaii Island
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom