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  Marijuana Funds OK'd - With Caveats
Posted by FoM on June 22, 2001 at 08:30:29 PT
By Bobby Command, West Hawaii Today 
Source: West Hawaii Today 

cannabis Rules accompanying federal marijuana eradication funds make it harder for police to find those growing for home use, but will not hamper large - scale eradication efforts. The Hawaii County Council voted 7 - 2 Wednesday to take the $265,000 grant from the Drug Enforcement Agency, but only if police helicopters used in the efforts agree to fly at least 1,000 feet above residential areas.

Helicopters will be allowed to fly as low as 500 feet over sparsely populated areas, such as forest reserves where the large - scale operations are more likely to be found.

Police also can fly lower over a residential area if they have probable cause that marijuana is being grown. Acting Council Chairman Curtis Tyler said the new rules represent a collaboration of all of those involved in the marijuana eradication controversy and will address privacy concerns that have been festering for 20 years.

"The council is hearing the people and trying to address the complaints within the law," Tyler said. "The police have made an extraordinary effort to listen, and now they are trying to mitigate the concerns of citizens, while at the same time recognizing what we all believe, that commercial growth of marijuana is not acceptable in this county."

Current eradication efforts usually take place at about 700 feet, a police official said, and lower if police believe they see marijuana being cultivated.

The two councilwomen voting against the bill - Nancy Pisicchio of South Kona and Julie Jacobson of Ka'u - said their votes were a symbolic protest of the use of resources to eradicate marijuana when crystal methamphetamine use in Hawaii County was reaching "epidemic" proportions.

A number of those who testified against accepting the funds, including East Hawaii pro - marijuana advocate Roger Christie, said police were wasting their time eradicating a natural "herb" and violating the privacy of those who wish to use marijuana in their own homes.

However, some lawmakers said the conditions placed on the police will shift the emphasis of enforcement to large - scale commercial growers rather than someone growing one or two plants in their backyard.

"Realistically, this is not an eradication program," Hilo Councilman Aaron Chung said. "This is better described as a control program."

Jerry Rothstein, who testified against the measure, asked Chung if the police were going to ignore those growing marijuana strictly for home use. "You mean if I have a few plants in my yard they are not going to bother me?"

Chung said laws are going to be enforced, but added the target of marijuana eradication efforts will be commercial growers.

"I can't say that we're here to protect the small user," Chung said. "We're not condoning the activity by any stretch of the imagination."

Chung said the council recognizes it has to balance residents' rights to privacy with the ability of the police to go after commercial marijuana operations.

Christie said the "war" against marijuana has led to the direct opposite on what is intended.

He said recent program reviews of the marijuana eradication efforts do not look at the unintended negative effects, such as forcing people to use harder drugs because they can't get marijuana.

Others who testified said marijuana was a gateway drug that leads to the use of more potent drugs.

"Five out of six recovering addicts said they started their habits with marijuana," said Ted Leaf, who said his facts came from those who spoke at a recent community hearing about the use of crystal methamphetamine, also known as "ice" or "batu."

Sandra Scarr of Kailua - Kona, who holds a Ph.D. in psychology, said she does not use marijuana, but calling marijuana a gateway drug was the same as calling milk a gateway drug, since everyone who now uses hard drugs once drank milk.

Scarr said the situation needs to be looked at in reverse, and the question that needs to be asked is, does everyone who smokes marijuana use hard drugs?

"And the answer is, no," she said.

Councilwoman Bobby Jean Leithead - Todd said marijuana is illegal according to state and federal laws and it is the duty of the county to enforce those laws.

She said it would be an invitation to organized crime to set up commercial production of marijuana on the Big Island if laws were not enforced.

In addition to the altitude limitation, no herbicide spraying will be allowed, rappelling can take place no closer than 500 feet to a residence and a report on each mission must be filed within 30 days of the operation.

The Police Department also has been asked to work with the state Department of Health and the Attorney General's office to set aside a portion of confiscated marijuana for medicinal use, and will develop written rules describing protected uses of marijuana.

Note: Police to target large - scale pot growers.

Newshawk: Rev. Dennis Shields
Source: West Hawaii Today
Published: June 21, 2001
Copyright: 2001 West Hawaii Today
Contact: bcommand@westhawaiitoday.com
Website: http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/

Related Articles & Web Site:

Dennis Shield's Home Page
http://hialoha.com/konagold/church/

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http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9591.shtml

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http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8024.shtml

Kim Cites Concerns Over Marijuana Eradication
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8020.shtml


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Comment #1 posted by legalizeit on June 23, 2001 at 18:19:23 PT
Idiot science, to be nice
"Five out of six recovering addicts said they started their habits with marijuana," said Ted Leaf, who said his facts came from those who spoke at a recent community hearing about the use of crystal methamphetamine, also known as "ice" or "batu."

Interesting name for a pot-basher!

So, six people spoke at some meeting, and 5 said they started with pot. Were they asked objectively or steered into talking about pot? I'll bet that all of them were on one of the legal drugs before starting with pot.

And what type of scientific conclusion regarding the gateway status of Pot can be drawn from six "subjects" saying whatever they want at a hearing?

Idiot!!

At least there were sensible people there to rebuff the prohibitionist cowards.

And Amerikans wonder why many Hawaiian natives don't like them....

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