Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
A bill that would have legalized marijuana died in the state legislature Tuesday. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Karl Rhoads told the Associated Press he decided to kill it after a head count found the bill would come up short in the House.
A public hearing last week saw now familiar arguments reprised. County police departments, the state attorney general and the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii told legislators marijuana was a dangerous drug and that the social costs of legalizing it would be too high, while supporters of the bill, including the ACLU of Hawaii said legalization would save the state money and respect Hawaiians' freedom of choice. They also argued that pot prohibition disproportionately impacts the state's minorities.
Pam Lichty of the Hawaii Drug Policy Action Group told the AP the group is disappointed but will continue to fight for marijuana reform, including improving the state's medical marijuana program.
Colorado and Washington freed the weed in November, and marijuana legalization bills have been or will be introduced this year in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
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Comments
Why?
In reply to Why? by Anonymous8675309 (not verified)
Clearly, someone is making a
Clearly, someone is making a great deal of money as a direct result of keeping it illegal. Follow the money.
I have to agree it's Ok to
When are the people's
Hawaii
Let's get it on the ballot so we can bypass these mokes in the legislature. The legislature may listen to the cops, but the people will have the last word.
In reply to Hawaii by Anonymous 808 (not verified)
Can't get it on the ballot in Hawaii
No initiatives or referendums in Hawaii. It's got to go through the legislature and they are still being alcohol supremacist pigs about it.
Attack All Corruption
The police are part of the drug problem, not the solution. Making the cops go away, forcing them to do something better with their time and our tax money, is the entire point of legalization.
Police interference in drug law reform would be worth prohibiting if doing it were legally possible. Deconstructing a police state may be more difficult than that.
Where drug enforcement is concerned, the opportunity exists to get inside and attack the systemic corruption of the state in a way that would resonate throughout the judiciary. By this means it’s possible to eliminate related types of dysfunctionality and fraud.
Think of an invading virus. That’s us, the drug law reformers, a virus infecting the spinal cord of a corrupt government body, eating away at each malignant nerve cell, and clearing a straight path to the brain of the evil beast.
Cannabis
Marijuana is a dangerous drug . The moon is actually a Dept. of Defense light show . Certain plants lack credibility . There is no distinction between marijuana and heroin . The DEA head says that the Controlled Substances Act says so . John Walters will testify to it all . How can a person live in[on] Hawaii and have no understanding of plants ? An island within an island I guess .
Keeping drugs illegal is
Keeping drugs illegal is about money, period. So I say follow the money. Find out who profits the most from current drug distribution, start watching them closely. Any group interested in keeping things illegal should be considered likely suspects in this war on greed. Let's out the selfish moneymongers and toss them all behind bars. Finally, a good use for all those prisons!
Another blow for methamphetamine
As that is the only other drug that's got a big following in that state.Not that I would support the prohibition of any drug.Besides,I forgot alcohol,which is probably a worse problem than either of the above.
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