Pubdate: Sun, 14 Jun 2015
Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser (HI)
Copyright: 2015 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: Marcus R. Oshiro
Note: Rep. Marcus Oshiro (D, WahiawaWhitmorePoamoho) was among 13 
dissenting legislators voting against HB 321.

FOR-PROFIT MARIJUANA WILL BE DANGEROUS

I believe marijuana has a place in the treatment of disease. However, 
forprofit growing and selling marijuana, even for medical use, is a 
dangerous and untested social experiment on Hawaii's people and is 
not consistent with local values and culture. Not-for-profit or 
co-ops or limited imports are viable alternatives.

First, legalization of for-profit growing and selling of marijuana is 
a new idea in the world. Further, only 11 of 23 medical marijuana 
U.S. states have actual operating experience, and the average retail 
store experience in those states is only about two years.

Stores in medical marijuana dispensary states began opening from 
2009, after President Barack Obama proclaimed that federal marijuana 
laws were a low enforcement priority. Obviously, jumping onto the 
social experimentation bandwagon with so little positive data is 
reckless and dangerous. The negative data trends on crime, highway 
accidents, youth, employment, and mental health and social service 
providers, are uncontroverted.

Second, no state has consistent protocols and safety standards to 
ensure safe and contamination free products. Unlike prescription 
drugs and the National Institutes of Drug Abuse suggest that about 9 
percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases 
among those who start young (to about 17 percent, or 1 in 6) and 
among people who use marijuana daily (to 25-50 percent).

A University of Colorado study revealed that about 74 percent of 
teens obtained their marijuana from medical marijuana card holders. 
These facts almost guarantee that some child's dream will be lost.

Fourth, legalizing medical marijuana for retail sale will not 
eliminate the "black market" but mask it and enhance its penetration 
into our communities, especially among youth. No state that has 
either legalized medical or recreational marijuana has eliminated the 
illegal drug trade. The current medical marijuana "white card" is 
euphemistically called a "Get Out of Jail Card" and sells for only 
$35.80 a year. And, our current "home-grow" law is essentially 
unregulated and already provides a source of illegal sales. It will 
become more veiled and unenforceable. And, if Colorado's experience 
is followed, we can expect to see a rise in intraisland and 
inter-state shipment of marijuana, and a rise in the use of 
marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin, as people move on to the "next thing."

Fifth, giving experienced for-profit business entities access to 
Hawaii's untested production and retail regulatory scheme will place 
our citizens at the mercy of mainland interests. Once given a 
toehold, they will use their increasing wealth and political power to 
expand influence. Elementary economics, profit, and greed will drive 
decisions. Like Big Pharma, like alcohol and tobacco, "Big Marijuana" 
will pursue a business model built on the lives of dependable 
customers or addicts.

As legislators, we owe it to future generations to somberly and 
wisely consider public policy decisions of lasting effect. Here we 
have not evaluated the facts carefully, considered the ongoing social 
experiments and data in other states, prevented predictable and 
foreseeable harms, and have not exhausted all less overbroad or 
intrusive means of helping our legitimate medical marijuana patients 
and families. They, in fact, have been sold a false bill of goods. 
Ironically, but without a casino, we are gambling away our future.

House Bill 321 to me is the frightening "Pandora's box" sitting on 
the governor's koa desk. I hope it remains closed and that we all 
have not forgotten that Hawaii is a very special place. And that we, 
the people of Hawaii, continue to be the masters of our own destiny 
and not beholden to a new outside interest disguised as a 
compassionate and healthy friend.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom