In 2000, Act 28 made Hawaii one of the first states to authorize the use of marijuana to treat certain debilitating medical conditions. Act 28, however, was silent on how to legally obtain a patient or caregiver's first seed to cultivate their crop or otherwise legally acquire medical marijuana, leaving patients and even law enforcement in a conundrum. Fast forward 15 years and Hawaii may soon join a growing number of states that have authorized dispensaries to distribute marijuana for medical use if House Bill 321, Relating to Medical Marijuana, is enacted. The 2015 state Legislature, based on remarks from opening day ceremonies, set as a goal to close the gap between the authorized use of medical marijuana and the legal means of acquiring it. A well-regulated dispensaries system may address both patient and law enforcement needs. [continues 470 words]
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. [continues 515 words]
HB 321 Could Lead to a $65 Million a Year Industry and Hundreds of New Jobs, They Say Medical marijuana promoters say dispensaries in Hawaii could create a lucrative new market with up to 800 jobs and $65 million a year in sales. House Bill 321 - which allows for 16 dispensaries to open in Hawaii on July 15, 2016, and potentially many more the following year - is now in Gov. David Ige's hands. If he signs it into law, the race will be on to see who can get the eight licenses allowed, build their greenhouses and open retail spaces to begin selling marijuana legally in Hawaii for the first time. [continues 1355 words]
Coaltion Creates Petition Against City Dispensary Plan A new group calling itself the Coalition For Dispensary Free Communities surfaced this week and is urging the public to sign a petition and support its call to oppose the city's proposal to regulate marijuana dispensaries. The group set up a website and has Facebook and Twitter accounts aimed at convincing city council to oppose the city staff's proposal, which goes to public hearing next Wednesday. The city wants to regulate the growing number of pot shops, which total more than 80 at the city's last count, by charging an annual $30,000 licence fee, require criminal record checks and ensure the businesses are at least 300 metres from a school or community centre. [continues 503 words]
Proposed Regulations Called Restrictive Some of B.C.'s high-profile marijuana advocates sent a strong and consistent message to city council Wednesday night that it must make significant changes to a set of proposed rules to regulate pot shops before adopting legislation. Though many of the 17 speakers on the first night of a public hearing commended city staff for the proposal, they argued that a $30,000 annual licensing fee was too expensive, that restricting pot shops within 300 metres of each other is unfair and banning marijuana-laced goods for sale would create an unregulated market for "edibles" such as cookies and brownies. [continues 856 words]
After reading the op-ed article on the ills of marijuana legalization, I took away something entirely different than Bennett and Leibsohn intended. They point out that arrests for alcohol-related offenses exceed that of all drug offenses by half a million. Thatwould lead one to believe that rather than coming downon marijuana, as Bennett and Leibsohn want, we should criminalize alcohol. I'm not naive. I know what happened the last time we tried that, but I can't help but feel that one person's vice is no better or worse than another's. Of all the social issues, this is the only one that perplexes me. While I don't advocate legalizing marijuana, I don't see howit is right for it to not have the same status as alcohol. Ron Garber Duarte [end]
In saying she was "outraged," Health Minister Rona Ambrose chose the right word but misapplied it. It is outrageous that a minister in a democratic government would attack judges of the Supreme Court. It is outrageous that a health minister would prefer sick people took up smoking rather than consuming medical marijuana in a brownie. Has the minister no scientific experts to guide her through these decisions, or does she treat scientific experts with the same disdain as legal ones? Dan Prowse Winnipeg [end]
Thursday's Supreme Court of Canada decision supporting the sale and use of edible marijuana products will not change the City of Vancouver's declared intention to have them banned for sale. This according to city manager Penny Ballem despite the fact that the court decision takes effect immediately. It just adds to the confusion around marijuana use spawned by Stephen Harper's ideologically driven government in Ottawa. And it reinforces the belief that none of this would be taking place had Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government of the day almost five decades ago taken the advice of its own Le Dain Commission on the Non-medical Use of Drugs and decriminalized the use of pot. [continues 585 words]
More than 25 local cannabis businesses hosted a bake sale Saturday, complete with "medical" marijuana-laced munchies. The first Get Baked Sale, held at the SOMAStreat Food Park on 11th Street, included food trucks and booths lined with all sorts of wares - - including Doritos, Chilean empanadas, ice cream sandwiches, pancakes and macaroons - for holders of medical marijuana cards to sample. The event featured cooking demonstrations and food-pairings with marijuana edibles. The pointy green leaves symbolic of the plant were rife on clothing, posters and stickers. [continues 478 words]
