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  • >> TONIGHT, ON INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAII, DURING THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, CIVIL LIBERTIES

  • ADVOCATES AND DRUG POLICY REFORMERS LOBBIED FOR THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA, JOIN

  • THE DEBATE ABOUT EASING THE PENALTIES ON MARIJUANA USE.

  • NOW, LIVE IN OUR STUDIO, OUR HOST, DAN BOYLAN. >>DAN: ALOHA AROUND WELCOME TO INSIGHTS ON

  • PBS HAWAII. IM DAN BOYLAN.

  • A RECENT PEW RESEARCH POLL REPORTS THAT A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS APPROVE OF THE LEGALIZATION

  • OF MARIJUANA. THIS SHIFT IN PUBLIC OPINION WAS FORECAST

  • THIS PAST NOVEMBER WHEN VOTERS IN THE STATES OF WASHINGTON AND COLORADO APPROVED BALLOT

  • INITIATIVES LEGALIZING POT. WHILE STILL ILLEGAL FOR RECREATIONAL USE,

  • MARIJUANA USE FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES IS LEGAL IN HAWAII AND 17 OTHER STATES.

  • HAWAII LAWMAKERS THIS SESSION DEBATED MARIJUANA RELATED BILLS THAT RANGE FROM ITS LEGALIZATION

  • TO REDUCTIONS OF THE PUNISHMENT FOR POSSESSION OF UP TO 20 GRAMS.

  • THATS 47 TO 50 MARIJUANA CIGARETTES. RIGHT?

  • FROM A PETTY MISDEMEANOR TO A $100 CIVIL FINE. A BILL TO TRANSFER THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM

  • FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS STILL PENDING.

  • TONIGHT, WELL EXPLORE THE FATE OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION AS WELL AS EXAMINE CURRENT MEDICAL

  • LAWS AND MEDICAL MARIJUANAS USE IN HAWAII. WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION BY

  • CALLING, E MAILING OR TWEETING YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.

  • OR YOU CAN JOIN OUR LIVE BLOG. THE CONTACT INFORMATION YOU NOW SEE ON YOUR

  • SCREEN WILL BE SHOWN REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM.

  • INSIGHTS IS ALSO STREAMING LIVE ON OUR COMPUTER AND WILL BE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE AFTER THE

  • BROADCAST. NOW TO OUR PANEL.

  • PAMELA LICHTY IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE DRUG POLICY ACTION GROUP WHICH FOCUSES ON SERVES

  • AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE. A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES ALTERNATIVES

  • TO CURRENT DRUG POLICIES. SHES ALSO ON THE BOARD OF THE DIRECTORS OF

  • THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF HAWAII. PAM HOLDS MASTERS DEGREE IN PUBLIC HEALTH.

  • ALAN SHINN IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NONPROFIT COALITION FOR A DRUG FREE HAWAII,

  • WHICH WAS FORMED IN 1987. CDFHS MISSION IS TO REDUCE OR PREVENT DRUG

  • ABUSE THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS BY EDUCATORS AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS.

  • ALAN HAS SERVED ON THE HONOLULU MAYORS DRUG TASK FORCE AS WELL AS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

  • ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE ABUSE. ALAN HOLDS A MASTERS DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK.

  • CHARLES WEBB IS A PARTICIPATING MEDICAL MARRIAGE PHYSICIAN LOCATED ON THE BIG ISLAND AND THE

  • FOUNDER OF THE MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA CLINIC OR MUM HAWAII.

  • DRWEBB ALSO PRACTICES URGENT CARE MEDICINE AND WAS AN EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN FOR OVER

  • 30 YEARS. JAMES HOCHBERG IS PRESIDENT OF THE HAWAII

  • FAMILY ADVOCATES, A NONPROFIT LEGISLATIVE ACTION ARM OF THE HAWAII FAMILY FORUM.

  • ITS MISSION IS TO EDUCATE, LOBBY, FOR LEGISLATION AND PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL ACTIVITIES

  • THAT ADVANCE THE INTERESTS OF FAMILIES, FAITH AND FREEDOM.

  • JIM IS AN ATTORNEY. WELL, IF THIS WAS THE YEAR FOR THE LEGALIZATION

  • OF MAYOR OF MARIJUANA, ATTA LEAST ELECTIONS IN POLLS THAT SHOW THAT OPINION FOR IT SEEMS

  • TO BE RISING, WHY DIDNT IT GET ANYWHERE IN THIS SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE?

  • PAM, YOU WATCH THIS FAIRLY CLOSELY. >> I WATCH IT VERY CLOSELY.

  • FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANKS FOR HAVING ALL OF US HERE TONIGHT.

  • THIS IS A REALLY TIMELY DISCUSSION. AND WERE PLEASED THAT HAWAII IS FINALLY HAVING

  • A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT MARIJUANA. THE JOKING HAS KIND OF STOPPED AN PEOPLE ARE

  • LOOK AT IT SERIOUSLY. THERE WERE ABOUT 20 BILLS INTRODUCED THIS

  • SESSION. ON ALL ASPECTS OF MARIJUANA.

  • INDICATING THAT THE INTEREST LEVEL THAT IS OUT THERE.

  • AS YOU SAID, COLORADO AND WASHINGTON STATE TAKING THE BOLD MOVE TO LEGALIZE IT THROUGH

  • VOTER INITIATIVES REALLY KIND OF SET THE STAGE IN A LOT OF OTHER STATES ARE NOW LOOKING TO

  • SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO TO REFORM WHAT THEY SEE AS NONFUNCTIONAL LAWS.

  • 16 STATES HAVE ALREADY DECRIMINALIZED INCLUDING SOME SURPRISING ONES, LIKE MISSISSIPPI, OHIO,

  • NEBRASKA, AND. >>DAN: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY DECRIMINALIZE?

  • >> OKAY. IN SOME STATES, ITS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT,

  • BUT GENERALLY, IT MEANS REMOVING CRIMINAL PENALTYINGS FOR POSSESSION OF A SMALL A, THE

  • AMOUNT VARIES FROM STATE TO STATE. AROUND REPLACING IT WITH A CIVIL FINE.

  • CITATION LIKE A PARKING TICKET. AND USUALLY, FINE OF USUALLY $100 IS THE AVERAGE

  • AND ONE OUNCE IS ABOUT THE AVERAGE AMOUNT THATS PERMITTED.

  • >>DAN: WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT? >> NO.

  • WE HAVE NOT. >>DAN: IS THERE ANY  THERES NOTHING STILL

  • ALIVE AT THE LEGISLATURE THAT WOULD INDICATE WERE GOING TO DO IT THIS YEAR?

  • >> WELL, YOU KNOW, THINGS CAN HAPPEN AT THE LAST MINUTES, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE NO.

  • IT WENT THROUGH THE SENATE WHERE IT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

  • BILL I WILL TO DECRIMINALIZE. THEN IT OVER TO THE HOUSE, THROUGH SEVERAL

  • COMMITTEES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE AND THEY VOTED TO RECOMMIT IT TO COMMITTEE.

  • TO THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE THE LAST ONE. THAT MEANS THEY DIDNT THINK THEY HAD THE VOTES

  • TO PASS IT. BUT NEITHER DID ANYONE HAVE TO GO ON RECORD

  • TO SAY WHERE THEY STOOD. >>DAN: ALAN SHINN, WHY DONT YOU WANT THESE

  • BILLS TO PASS? WHY SHOULDNT WE LEGALIZE IT.

  • >> I THINK MARIJUANA IS A HEALTH PROBLEM FOR HAWAII AND I THINK LEGALIZATION IS WHAT HAPPENS

  • WHEN PEOPLE ARE NOT REALLY INFORMED ABOUT THE DRUG.

  • SO I THINK THE PAST ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA, THERES A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS

  • AND I WOULD SAY THAT ITS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN TERMS OF TRYING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND CATCH

  • THEM UP BECAUSE I THINK MANY OF OUR OPINIONS AND FEELINGS ABOUT MARIJUANA GO WAY BACK TO

  • I THINK IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES. WITH ALL THE SCIENCE BASED INFORMATION THAT

  • WE NOW HAVE ON MARIJUANA, WE HAVENT, OUR OPINIONS AND FEELINGS ABOUT IT HAVE NOT REALLY CAUGHT

  • UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE SCIENCE THAT WE HAVE.

  • >>DAN: WHAT SCIENCE SPECIFICALLY, I CAN SAY THAT WORD, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THAT SAYS

  • THAT MARIJUANA IS A HEALTH PROBLEM, THAT ITS GOING TO CAUSE US TROUBLE?

  • >> WE HAVE TO LOOK AT MARIJUANA LIKE WE LOOK AT OTHER DRUGS.

  • ITS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. THERE ARE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF ANY DRUG, BUT

  • FOR MARIJUANA, WE KNOW THAT ITS LINKED TO ASSOCIATED WITH PSYCHOSIS, DEPRESSION AND

  • PARANOIA. IM TALKING ABOUT CHRONIC PERSISTENT USE OF

  • HIGH GRADE POTENT MARIJUANA THAT WE HAVE NOWADAYS. ITS NOT SAME MARIJUANA THAT OUR MAYBE WE SMOKED,

  • DAN, YOU AND I SMOKED WAY BACK IN THE DAYS. >>DAN: NOT ME.

  • MAYBE YOU. NOT ME.

  • >> SO POTENCY IS NOW MUCH HIGHER. MARIJUANA HAS BEEN GMOD AND NOW, WE HAVE POTENCY

  • LEVELS THAT ARE 10 TIMES WHAT IT WAS IN THE SIXTIES AND 70S.

  • >>DAN: IS THAT TRUE? I READ SOMETHING ON THAT TOO.

  • THEY SEEM TO INDICATE IT IS MORE POTENT. >> WELL, THIS IS MISERY.

  • THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO MARIJUANA PRETEND THAT ITS DANGEROUS BECAUSE ITS PERHAPS BEEN

  • IMPROVED FROM 4% TO 8% THC. THATS WHEN THEYRE TALKING ABOUT.

  • >>DAN: THC IS  >> PSYCHO ACTIVE CHEMICAL IN MARIJUANA.

  • OR CANNABIS, IF WERE TALKING MEDICALLY, THE PROPER WORD WOULD BE CANNABIS.

  • MARIJUANA COVERS IT. ANYWAY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE DEA ACTUALLY

  • BRAGS ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE 100% THC. MARINOL PILLS AND TRIES TO GET US TO BELIEVE

  • THAT 8% IS DANGEROUS WHILE 100% IS PERFECTLY FINE IN PILL FORM.

  • SO THERES A DOUBLE STANDARD. IN FACT, THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MARIJUANA REPRESENTS

  • A DOUBLE STANDARD. IT WAS ORIGINALLY MADE ILLEGAL BECAUSE MUCH

  • PEOPLE WITH COLOR. MEXICANS AND BLACK MUSICIANS AND BLACK PEOPLE,

  • IT WAS DEFINITELY MADE TO HURT THESE PEOPLE. IT STILL DOES.

  • THATS WHOS IN JAIL NOW BECAUSE OF IN ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOUNG PEOPLE

  • AND IT RUINS THEIR LIFE. HEALTH HAZARDS, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO NAME.

  • I ADDRESS THE PSYCHOSIS THING IF YOU LIKE. THATS MANY OF THE THINGS BROUGHT UP THAT ARE

  • FAULTS. >>DAN: I HAVE READ A LITTLE BIT ON IT.

  • AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT CAN BE ADDICTIVE IN ONE ON ONE IN 11 USERS?

  • >> HAWAII MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HAS RESOLUTION WHICH SAYS THAT IT IS MINIMALLY OR NONADDICTIVE

  • AND THEY RECOMMEND THAT IT BE DOWN SCHEDULED SO THAT IT CAN BE PROPRESCRIBED.

  • PERHAPS HE KNOWS MORE THAN THE HAWAII MEDICAL ASSOCIATION ON THERE, BUT I REALLY DOUBT IT.

  • >> GO HAD HE HAD. >> 2011, THE DEA WAS PETITIONED TO UNSCHEDULE

  • IT AS A SCHEDULE 1 DRUG. BASED ON SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE, THEY DECLINED.

  • SO I WOULD THINK THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGULATORS OF MARIJUANA THAT REQUIRE THAT

  • IT BE SCHEDULE 1 DRUG WOULD KNOW WHAT THEYRE TALKING ABOUT.

  • >>DAN: DOESNT THE SCIENCE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IF KIDS USE IT VERY YOUNG, THERES A DANGER?

  • IN FACT, SOME OF THE DECRIMINALIZATION SAID ITS DECRIMINALIZED FOR PEOPLE OVER 21.

  • ISNT THAT RIGHT? WHERE COLORADO AND WASHINGTON HAS GONE?

  • >> RIGHT. ISNT THAT BASED ON SCIENCE?

  • >> NO. ITS BASED ON GUESS WORK BECAUSE NONE OF US

  • WANT OUR CHILDREN DOING COFFEE. NONE OF US WANT OUR CHILDREN DOING CIGARETTES.

  • WE DONT WANT OUR CHILDREN DOING PSYCHO ACTIVE DRUGS EVEN THOUGH WE SOMETIMES LET THEM DRINK

  • DRPEPPER AND COCA COLA COULD A FULL OF CAFFEINE.

  • FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID NOT BASE THEIR STUDIES ON SCIENCE.

  • IT WAS PURE POLITICS. JUDGE SAID IT SHOULD BE DOWN SCHEDULED AND

  • THEY HAVE NO SCIENCE. THIS WAS FEDERAL COURT AND I HAD ENTIRE FEDERAL

  • BRIEF IN THE DEA. HERES WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT PSYCHOSIS.

  • IF FROM THE FED DATA. DOES NOT SUGGEST A CAUSATIVE LINK BETWEEN

  • THE MARIJUANA USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOSIS. IF I GIVE AWE SHOT OF CORE ZONE, HERES THE

  • THING FROM THE FLIER, CAN LEAD TO FRANK PSYCHOTIC MANIFESTATIONS, EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY OR TSAI

  • COULD THE PARTICULAR TENDENCIES MAY BE AGGREGATED BY CORTICOSTEROIDS.

  • KNOWN AS STEROID RAGE. THERES AUTOMOBILE A DOUBLE STANDARDS HERE.

  • USUALLY HYPOTHETICAL DANGERS OF MARIJUANA BUT THEY NEVER HAVE THE STUDIES OR STUDIES

  • TO SHOW DANGER. WERE TALKING ABOUT A PILL THATS LESS ADDICTING

  • THAN CAFFEINE AND SAFER THAN TILE NOT AND ASPIRIN AND YET THEY HAVE IT CLASSIFIED AND

  • TREATED AS MORE DANGEROUS THAN HEROIN. THERES NO SCIENCE THERE.

  • PURE POLITICS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN VERY DISINGENUOUS.

  • >> DAN, THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT MANDATES THAT THE SCHEDULING AND APPROVAL OF DRUGS

  • INCLUDING MARIJUANA MUST BE DONE ON BOTH LEGAL AND SCIENTIFIC BASIS.

  • SO IF THEYRE NOT FOLLOWING THE STATUTE AND MAKING POLITICAL DECISIONS, I WOULDNT THINK

  • THATS WHATS GOING ON. >> STUDIES, THERES BEEN LONG TERM STUDIES

  • ABOUT THE EFFECTIVE MARIJUANA ON ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE.

  • UNDER 18. AND SHOWN THAT THERE IS SCIENCE, THERE ARE

  • CORRELATES TO MEMORY LOSS, LEARNING DISABILITIES, AND IT GOES ON AND ON.

  • SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE STUDIES THAT REALLY SHOW THAT, DRWEBB.

  • >> IF YOU WANT TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN, YOU HAVE TO BE HONEST.

  • AND THE PROBLEMS HERE ARE NUMBER ONE, IF YOU LIE TO THE CHILDREN AND TELL THEM MARIJUANA

  • IS DANGEROUS WHICH I WAS LIED TO AND IT MADE ME VERY SKEPTICAL.

  • I DIDNT BELIEVE THE OTHER THINGS THEY TOLD ME BECAUSE THEY WERE DISHONEST TO ME AND TOLD

  • ME MARIJUANA WAS DANGEROUS. THE OTHER THING IS ITS ALREADY AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE.

  • MY 3 KIDS ALL WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL ON A MILITARY ACADEMY AND THEY COULD GET ANY DRUG THEY WANTED

  • AT SCHOOL. PROHIBITION MEANS THE DEALER GETS TO DECIDE

  • WHO DOES IT RATHER THAN THE GOVERNMENT. AND I DONT KNOW.

  • THATS NOT WHAT I WANT. >> OUR AGENCY DOES PREVENTION.

  • WILLS DO TREATMENT. WE WORK WITH JUVENILE DRUG COURT.

  • MANY OF THE KIDS WHO COME IN, YOUTH WHO COME IN HAVE PROBLEMS WITH DRUGS OBVIOUSLY.

  • AND MARIJUANA IS USUALLY ONE OF THEM. WE SEE A LOT OF PROBLEMS AROUND THEIR CHRONIC

  • USE OF MARIJUANA. FUNCTIONING LEVELS, JUST THEIR BEHAVIOR, LOWER

  • FUNCTIONING. THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.

  • >> JUST LIKE ANY OTHER DRUG. >> IF YOU WANT THE USE TO GO DOWN, IT GOES

  • DOWN IN COUNTRIES WHERE IT HAS BEEN DECRIMINALIZED. IN HOLLAND, THEY HAVE SINGLE DIGIT TEEN USE.

  • WE HAVE A WAR ON DRUGS AND WE HAVE 30 SOME% TEEN USE F YOU REALLY WANT TEEN USE AND YOUTH

  • USE TO GO DOWN, YOU LEGALIZE IT AND REGULATE IT.

  • >> I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT I THINK WE COULD GO ON ALL NIGHT WITH DULYING STUDIES.

  • STUDIES THAT SHOW TOTALLY OPPOSITE THINGS. ID LIKE TO STIPULATE AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSON

  • THAT ALL PSYCHO ACTIVE DRUGS HAVE SOME DEGREE OF ARM.

  • ITS A MATTER OF DEGREE. SO I THINK OUR ARGUMENT IS THAT WERE ALREADY

  • REGULATING ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO WHICH ARE OBJECTIVELY FAR MORE HARMFUL.

  • AND SO WHY ARE WE TREATING THIS AS SOMETHING THAT IS BEYOND THE PALE?

  • SOME OF THE CRITERIA GET FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USES FOR SCHEDULING, FOR SOMETHING TO BE SCHEDULE

  • 1, WHICH IS THE MOST STRICTEST SCHEDULE T. MEANS THAT IT CANT BE USED FOR RESEARCH UNLESS

  • THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DRUG ABUSE AGREES, WHICH THEY OFTEN DO NOT.

  • AND HAS TO MEET ALL THE 3 CRITERIA. THEY ARE, THAT HAS NO RECOGNIZED MEDICAL VALUE.

  • 18 STATES PLUS DC DISAGREE ABOUT THAT. IT HAS A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE.

  • WE CAN ARGUE THAT ONE. BUT ITS AGAIN, A MATTER OF RELATIVE HARM.

  • SO I WOULD SAY. AND THE THIRD CRITERIA IS THAT.

  • >> ITS TOO UNSAFE FOR PHYSICIANS TO PRESCRIBE. WEVE NEVER HAD A DEATH FOR IT.

  • EVERY OTHER THING I CAN PRESCRIBE CAN KILL PEOPLE.

  • EVEN CAFFEINE PEOPLE CAN KILL PEOPLE IN OVERDOSE. NOBODY HAS DIED FROM IT AND THEYRE SAYING

  • ITS TOO DANGEROUS FOR DOCTORS TO PRESCRIBE. THATS NOT SCIENCE.

  • >>DAN: ISNT ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT ITS AN ENTRY LEVEL DRUG?

  • ISNT THAT A FAIRLY COMMON ARGUMENT THAT USED, THAT YOU START WITH MARIJUANA AND THEN YOU

  • HEAD TO METH, I GUESS, AND SO ON. IS THAT  .

  • YEAH. I DONT 

  • >>DAN: ANY VIABILITY. >> I DONT THINK WERE TALKING REFER MADNESS

  • NOWADAYS. THATS GONE.

  • THAT PART IS GONE. I THINK WHAT I THINK WHAT WERE SAYING IS THAT

  • IT CAN BE A GATEWAY DRUG FOR SOME PEOPLE OF THE NOT EVERYBODY.

  • ITS THE WAY YOUR BRAIN IS WIRED. YOUR POTENTIAL FOR ADDICTION, SOMETIMES IS

  • HEREDITARY. BUT YOU KNOW, NOT, I WOULDNT SAY ITS A GATEWAY

  • DRUG FOR EVERYONE. I THINK FOR SOME PEOPLE T. IS.

  • AND WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME THROUGH OUR CLINIC SEEKING ASSISTANCE WHO SAID, YEAH,

  • I STARTED WITH MARIJUANA. AND NOW, IM ON METH OR COCAINE OR HEROIN AND

  • I STARTED WHEN I WAS 15 YEARS OLD. SO YOU SEE THAT PATTERN OF ADDICTION.

  • YOU DO. BUT I MEAN, IN CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.

  • CERTAINLY. BUT THE GATEWAY THEORY HAS BEEN DISCREDITED

  • FOR A LONG TIME AND REALLY DEFINITIVE ONE WAS IN 1999 WHEN THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE

  • ISSUED A REPORT ABOUT THE VARIOUS PROPERTIES OF MARIJUANA AND THEY SAID, THAT THERE IS

  • NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE. QUOTE, DRUG AFFECTS OF MARIJUANA ARE CAUSALLY

  • LINKED TO THE SUBSEQUENT ABUSE OF OTHER ILLICIT DRUGS.

  • YES, THERE MAY BE A PATTERN THAT YOU SEE IN ONE PARTICULAR PERSON THAT THEY START WITH

  • MARIJUANA. WELL, THEY START WITH THAT USUALLY ACTUALLY

  • THEY START WITH ALCOHOL AND NICOTINE. THOSE ARE READILY AVAILABLE.

  • BUT THEY WOULD START WITH MARIJUANA ALMOST NATURALLY BECAUSE ITS THE MOST PREVALENT BY

  • FAR, SOME 10 MILLION AMERICANS STILL USE IT AND I CANT REMEMBER THE FIGURE FOR PEOPLE

  • HAVE USED IT OVER THE YEARS. WITH YOU ITS THE MOST READILY AVAILABLE.

  • SO IT JUST SORT OF MAKES SENSE. BUT THERES OTHER THEORIES TOO.

  • THAT NONCONFORMING TEENAGERS ARE LIKELY TO TRY IT BECAUSE ITS OUT THERE, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS

  • EXCITING, BECAUSE THERES FORBIDDEN FRUIT ANGLE TO IT.

  • AND THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS VALID ABOUT THE GATEWAY EFFECT IS THAT IT GIVES

  • THE PERSON WHO IS ACQUIRING THE MARIJUANA EXPOSURE TO THE OTHER DRUGS THAT ARE ON THE

  • BLACK MARKET. SO AND I THINK WE COULD TALK ABOUT ICE AND

  • MARIJUANA IN HAWAII AND THERES KIND OF AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE CASTLE & COOKE THERE.

  • >> THERES ALSO THE CONFORMING TEENAGERS WHO CURRENTLY WOULDNT SMOKE MARIJUANA BECAUSE

  • ITS ILLEGAL AND IF IT WAS LEGALIZED OR DECRIMINALLED, THAT GATE FOR THEM WOULD BE GONE AND I THINK

  • THATS AN IMPORTANT POINT AS WELL. >> ALAN IS HOT GOING BELIEVE ME, BUT I DIDNT

  • USE MARIJUANA VERY MUCH. >> VERY MUCH.

  • >>DAN: AS I TELL PEOPLE. PUT ME TO SLEEP AND THAT WASNT THE WAY I LIKED

  • TO PARTY. I HAVE TALKED TO SOME YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THIS.

  • TALKED TO SOME YOUNGER GENERATIONS. I AM SHOCKED BY WHAT JIM SAYS.

  • A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT, A LOT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT USING MARIJUANA.

  • WHILE IVE TALKED TO SOME WHO SAID, DAD, I SAID SOMETHING, EVERYBODY USES MARIJUANA.

  • EVERYBODY IS DOING MARIJUANA. YOU DONT KNOW ANYBODY UNDER A CERTAIN AGE

  • THATS NOT DOING MARIJUANA. I ALSO TALKED TO A LOT OF KIDS WHO ARE NOT

  • DOING IT AND HAVE NO INTENTION OF DOING IT. IF WE PUT IT OUT THERE ALONG WITH THE WINE

  • SHOP AND COFFEE SHOP AND SALOON, ARENT THEY GOING TO BE DOING IT.

  • >> NO. OF THE EXPERIMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE.

  • THE PLACES LIKE PORTUGAL AND HOLLAND DECRIMINALIZE DOLLARS IT COMPETELY AND USE GOES GOES DOWN

  • AND THEIR TEENAGERS AND YOUTH HAVE A MUCH LOWER RATE OF USE BECAUSE ITS NO LONGER COOL.

  • IF GRANDMA USES IT, ITS NOT COOL. IF MY PARENTS SMOKE IT, ITS NOT COOL.

  • THERES A HUGE FORBIDDEN FRUIT THING. I WOULD KIND OF LIKE TO STAND THIS ARGUMENT

  • ON ITS HEAD BECAUSE THERES SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS DONT KNOW

  • ABOUT AND ITS ACTUALLY GAINING A REPUTATION AS AN EXIT DRUG.

  • I HAD PATIENTS COME TO ME, YESTERDAY, CERTIFIED MASSIVE DOSES OF OPIOIDS WHICH ARE THINGS

  • LIKE OXYCONTIN, HILL BILLY HEROIN, THESE ARE DEADLY DRUGS.

  • ONE PILL CAN KILL A KID. THESE ARE LEGAL PRESCRIPTIONS.

  • THESE CAUSE MORE DEATHS NOW THAN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND TRAFFIC FATALITIES IN MO MOST STATES.

  • THESE THINGS ARE VERY DANGEROUS. AND MANY OF MY PATIENT PEARL CITY COME AND

  • GET CERTIFIED WITHIN A YEAR, OF USING MEDICAL MAY ERIN TO RELIEF THEIR PAIN, WITH ENCOURAGE.

  • , THEYRE ABLE TO TAPER OFF AND COMPLETELY GO GET OFF THESE DEADLY DRUGS. ITS ACTUALLY

  • AN EXIT DRUG IN MANY WAYS. THE ARGUMENT THAT IT LEADS TO OTHER DRUGS

  • IS ONE OF THOSE AD HOC ERGOT PROMPTER HOCK, AFTER THE FACT, BECAUSE OF THE FACT, THE ROOSTER

  • CROWS AND THE SUNRISES, THEREFORE, THE ROOSTER MADE THE SUNRISE.

  • PEOPLE USE MARIJUANA BEFORE OTHER DRUGS BECAUSE ITS MILDER AND SAFER AND THATS THE FIRST THING

  • THEY TRY. YOU CAN GO BACK TO I USED MILK FIRST OR ANYTHING

  • THAT YOU LIKED, APPLE PIE. WHATEVER.

  • >> JIMS REFERENCE TO THAT JUMP IN USE, NOT ONLY AMONG TUNE ABLERS BUT ADULTS MAY BE TRUE

  • TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. MOST PLACES THAT HAVE DECRIMINALIZED, WHOLE

  • LIST OF STATES THAT HAVE, THEY FOUND THE USES ACTUALLY GONE DOWN.

  • I DONT THINK ANYBODY CAN REALLY OFFER A GOOD EXPLANATION FOR IT EXCEPT THAT SOME OF THE

  • MYSTIC HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM IT. BUT THATS WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS.

  • YOURE WARE OF THAT STUDY IN COLORADO AFTER THEY DECRIMINALIZE IT.

  • THE RANDOM DRUG TESTING OF TEENAGERSES WAS GREATLY INCREASED THE PREVALENCE OF HAVING

  • SMOKED MARIJUANA. JUST RECENTLY. THE SCHOOL EXPULSION IN COLORADO HAS RISEN

  • WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. >> DIFFERENT TOPIC.

  • EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT FOR KIDS TO REMAIN ENGAGED IN SCHOOL, IN COMMUNITY, ITS BETTER THAN PARTICULAR

  • KICKING THEM OUT OF SCHOOL WHERE THEY MAY SIT AROUND ALL DAY AND SMOKE HE MARIJUANA.

  • AS I UNDERSTAND, ANY BILL THATS BEING DISCUSSED, DECRIMINALIZING, THEY WOULD STILL REGULATE

  • IN REGARD TO YOUTH, RIGHT? >> YES.

  • INTO. >>DAN: THERE WOULD BE A 21 YEAR AGE GROUP,

  • 21 COULDNT HAVE DID BEFORE THE AGE OF 21. ITS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON MARIJUANA, RIGHT?

  • >> YES. >>DAN: YOU ADMITTED YOURE A BIG USER OR WERE

  • A BIG USER. IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.

  • >> IT DOESNT LOOK  >> THATS AGAINST THE LAW.

  • DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED IS ALREADY AGAINST THE LAW.

  • HOW WILL THEY KNOW HOW TO MEASURE THE LEVELS OF INTOXICATION WITH THE PRECISION THAT THEY

  • CAN ALCOHOL. >> CHECK THE REDNESS OF THE EYES.

  • YOURE CITE. >> WE ALL KNOW THAT.

  • I WOULD SEE A PERSON WHO IS NOT USED TO ALCOHOL WILL HAVE A LEVEL OF 80 HIGHLY INTOXICATED.

  • ALCOHOLIC WILL COME IN WITH AIL LEVEL OF 600 AND TALK TO YOU WITHOUT SLURRING.

  • THERES NO ACCURACY TO ALCOHOL EITHER. WE MAKE OUR BEST GUESS AND WE GO WITH IT.

  • ALCOHOL IS THOUSANDS OF TIMES MORE DANGEROUS THAN ALCOHOL.

  • MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ACQUAINTED  . THAN MARIJUANA.

  • PEOPLE ARE UNACQUAINTED WITH MARIJUANA IMAGINE IT FOR LACK OF A BETTER COMPARISON, AS BEINGING

  • SOMETHING LIKE ALCOHOL. ITS JUST THE OPPOSITE.

  • IT MAKES PEOPLE NICE. IT MAKES THEM LAUGH.

  • RATHER THAN MAKING THEM FIGHT AND DRIVE AUTOMOBILES TOO FAST.

  • IT MIGHT MAKE THEM DRIVE AUTOMOBILES TOO SLOW AND I AGREE, THEY SHOULD NOT.

  • BECAUSE THEY WILL GO TOO SLOW. >> WEVE SEEN 40 YEARS OF SAMSA AND NIDA HAVE

  • TRACKED DRUG USE OVER 40 YEARS. WHEN THE PERCEPTION OF HARM FOR A DRUG GOES

  • DOWN, USE GOES UP. WHEN PERCEPTION OF HARM GOES UP, USE GOES

  • DOWN. WEVE SEEN THIS PATTERN.

  • >> THERE IS OTHER FACTORS AT PLAY. IF YOU LOOK AT TOBACCO AS A COMPARISON, ITS

  • REALLY HALF. THAT IS SOCIAL ATTITUDES AND THE ROLE OF EDUCATION

  • WHICH IS NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART AND TO OURS AS WELL.

  • THEN DRAMATIC DECREASES HAVE BEEN SEEN A CROSS THE COUNTRY IN ADULT AND TEENAGERS USING TOBACCO

  • AND THATS BEEN A MATTER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PRESSURE.

  • IN OUR PARENTS DAY, IT WAS GLAM US RUSS TO MIKE CIGARETTES.

  • THINK OF THE OLD MOVIES. AND NOW, MY 87 YEAR OLD MOTHER SAID SHE FELT

  • LIKE A PARIAH WHEN SHE WAS SMOKING IN PUBLIC. SO.

  • >> I GUESS THERES REALLY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOBACCO AND MARIJUANA.

  • I THINK THAT ADDICTIVE QUALITIES OF MARIJUANA, ONE IN SIX YOUTH BECOME ADDICTED.

  • ONE IN 10 ADULTS. 53% IN HAWAII YOUTH ARE IN TREATMENT BECAUSE

  • OF MARIJUANA. THEYRE NOT BEING FORCED TO COME IN.

  • A LOT OF THEM ARE COMING IN ON THEIR OWN BECAUSE THEY CANT FUNCTION.

  • THEYRE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT IT. >> MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IS

  • OF THE KIDS WHO COME IN FOR TREATMENT. >> ARENT MANY OF THOSE COURT MANDATED REFERRALS?

  • >> NONE OF THIS IS SCHOOL BASED. WHERE IS VOLUNTARY.

  • ITS VOLUNTARY AND CONFIDENTIAL. KIDS ARE COMING IN AND ASKING FOR HELP.

  • COUNSELOR IS NOT SAYING YOURE HAVING PROBLEMS. YOURE COMING IN BECAUSE OF THIS POTENCY IS

  • MARIJUANA IS SO HIGH. >> WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO THAT POTENCY ISSUE.

  • LETS ADDRESS THAT. THATS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO.

  • 1 OF 6 BECOME ADDICTED. HES TRYING TO COMPARE IT TO CIGARETTES.

  • CIGARETTE, IF YOU SMOKE A SECOND CIGARETTE AS A TEENAGER, YOUR CHANCES OF FIVE OUT OF

  • SIX OF BEING ADDICTED, ITS THE WORLDS MOST ADDICTING DRUG KNOWN IS CIGARETTES.

  • THATS WHY ITS SO HARMFUL. IS BECAUSE ITS SO ADDICTING.

  • MORE THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE A DAY DIE FROM CIGARETTES BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SO ADDICTED,

  • THEY CHAIN SMOKE AND THEY GET UP TO 100, 200, 300, 400,000 CIGARETTES AND THEY KILL THEMSELVES.

  • THAT NEVER HAPPENS WITH MARIJUANA. THERES NEVER GOING TO SINGLE DEATH FROM IT.

  • AND THE DEA ITSELF SAYS THAT THE ADDICTION PROBABILITY IS LESS THAN COFFEE.

  • NOW, GRAND COFFEE HAS SOME ADDICTION. I LOVE COFFEE.

  • AND IF YOU QUIT COFFEE AND YOURE ACCUSTOMED TO IT, YOULL GET A PRETTY SEVERE HEADACHE.

  • I HAVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS WHO GO TO THE MAINLANDND THEY CANNOT TAKE THEIR MEDICINE.

  • I SAY, HO YOU DID YOU DO? I MISSED MY MEDICINE.

  • DID YOU GET SICK OR HAVE ANY WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS, THEY LAUGH AT YOU.

  • ASK EMERGENCY DOCTOR, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYBODY COME FROM WITHDRAWAL FROM MARIJUANA?

  • THEY WOULD LAUGH AT YOU. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

  • IVE SEEN PEOPLE COME THE OTHER DIRECTION WHO ARE ON MAINLAND, ON OPIOIDS, OXYCONTIN, THESE

  • PEOPLE ARE DESPERATE. THEY GET HERE AND THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS ARE

  • NOT REFILLABLE. THEYRE GOING INTO MISERABLE WITHDRAWAL WHICH

  • IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD POSSIBLY KILL THEM IF THEY HAVE HEART PROBLEMS OR OTHER

  • MEDICAL PROBLEMS. >> THERES NO COMPARISON.

  • >> I DONT REALLY AGREE. I THINK THAT MARIJUANA, WEVE SEEN IT.

  • THAT MARIJUANA IN OUR CLINICS, THAT YOUTH WHO COME IN FOR PROBLEMS WITH MARIJUANA DISPLAY

  • THE SAME KINDS OF PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE ON OTHER DRUGS HAVE.

  • THAT ARE JUST AS ADDICTING. SO I DONT THINK YOU CAN JUST SAY THAT MARIJUANA

  • IS A HARMLESS DRUG. THATS ONE OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS THATS OUT

  • THERE, THAT THATS FORMING. >> WE HAVE NOT SAID  ITS HARMLESS OR WE WANT

  • YOUTH TO DO IT. WERE JUST SAYING THERE IS A DOUBLE STANDARD.

  • THINGS THAT ARE CLEARLY MUCH MORE ADDICTING AND MUCH MORE DANGEROUS ARE TREATED AS SAFE,

  • FINE, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND USE THEM. WHEREAS HERE, IS ISING MUCH SAFER AND THERES

  • A DOUBLE STANDARD. THIS IS BEING TREATED AS MORE DANGEROUS THAN

  • HEROIN. THATS HYPOCRISY.

  • >>DAN: I WANT TO ASK ABOUT A BIGGER HYPOCRISY, I THINK MANY OF US PROUDLY, SOME OF US NOT

  • SO PROUDLY, PRESIDENCY ONE OF THE LAST 3 MEN HELD THE PRESIDENTCY ALL OF WHO MANY HAVE

  • BEEN USERS OF MARIJUANA. BUSH, OBAMA AND CLINTON.

  • OF COURSE HE ONLY EXPERIMENTED WITH IT AS YOU KNOW.

  • WE HAD 3 PRESIDENTS. YOU KNOW, YOURE A LAWYER.

  • WHY IF THESE GUYS, THE PRESIDENTS CAN USE MARIJUANA, USE IT, HOW CAN WE SUDDENLY CRIMINALIZE

  • IT OR BUYS SOME SELLING IT AND HARLEM OR SOMETHING, OR A WHITE KID OR BROUGHT SOME, HOW CAN WE

  • DO THAT? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT WAS DOWN THERE

  • IN PUNAHOU JUST SLIPPING IT UP. BUT ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE IN HIS

  • GENERATION. >> YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT HE ISNT DOING

  • IT AS THE PRESIDENT. SO OBVIOUSLY, EXCEPT FOR BILL CLINTON, I GUESS

  • THEY ALL QUIT LONG AGO. MAYBE BILL CLINTON DID TOO.

  • I DONT KNOW. >>DAN: HE SAID HE DID.

  • >> HE LIKES TO HAVE FUN. THAT ISNT THERE A KIND OF LEGAL  YOU KNOW,

  • YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GOT TO  YOU HAVE BEEN ON ONE OF THOSE PLACES WHERE SOMEONE SAYS PUTS

  • WALK, EVERYONE HAS TO STAY ON THE SIDEWALK AND YET YOU KNOW EVERYBODY IS WALKING UP THIS

  • WHICH. THEYRE GOING ACROSS THE LAWN BECAUSE ITS THE

  • CLOSEST THING AND IT MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD.

  • AN THESE KIDS ARE USING IT. I MEAN, THEYRE USING MARIJUANA.

  • THEY DONT SAO EMTO BE MANY OF THEM DONT SAO EMTO BE HORRIFIED.

  • THEY BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. >> DAN, COULD I JUMP IN?

  • WE HAVENT TALKED ABOUT THE CRIMINAL PENALTIES. HUGE DEAL.

  • ONE OF THE REASONS WE THINK THE LAW SHOULD BE REFORMED.

  • THOSE LAWS ARE NOT FALLING EVENLY ON ALL SECTORS OF THE POPULATION.

  • NOW, BARACK OBAMA GROWING UP AS A YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN HE WAS LUCKY.

  • WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF HE HAD BEEN BUSTED? WOULD HE HAVE GONE ON TO THE CAREER THAT HE

  • HAD? HE WOULD HAVE HAD A CRIMINAL RECORD THAT STAYED

  • WITH HIM FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE THAT MIGHT HAVE IMPEDED HIM FROM GETTING FEDERAL COLLEGE

  • LOANS, HOUSE,, EMPLOYMENT, JOB RECOMMENDATIONS. STICKS WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

  • AND WE JUST HAD AN ECONOMIC STUDY TON IN HAWAII AND U.H. ECONOMIST AND HE WAS REALLY SHOCKED

  • TO SEE THESE NUMBERS JUMP OUT AT HIM ABOUT THE DISCREPANCIES IN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING

  • BUSTED FOR MARIJUANA. IF YOURE NATIVE HAWAIIAN, 70% HIGHER CHANCE

  • OF BEING ARRESTED. ALL THE RESEARCH AND I THINK YOU GUYS WOULD

  • AGREE, SHOWS THAT PRETTY MUCH EVERY ETHNIC GROUP USES IT AT THE SAME AMOUNTS THROUGHOUT

  • THE COUNTRY AND YET, WHO ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GETTING ARRESTED?

  • >> I THINK PAM IS TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL DISPARITY HERE.

  • IF YOURE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SINGLING OUT HAWAIIANS, I THINK YOU COULD SAY THAT FOR

  • JUST ABOUT ANY ISSUE THAT COMES UP WHETHER ITS WELFARE OR THE NUMBER OF HAWAIIANS IN

  • PRISON. I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU.

  • I THINK THE HAWAIIAN POPULATION IS MARGINALIZED AND I DONT THINK MARIJUANA IS THE ONLY ISSUE

  • HERE. THE EXPLANATION COULD BE THAT HAWAIIANS EX

  • BECAUSE OF THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, THEY ARENT ABLE TO ACCESS SERVICES AS WELL AS SAY

  • THAT WHITE KID WHO LIVES IN HAWAII KAI WHO CAN PAY FOR COUNSELING OR TREATMENT, THIS

  • HAWAIIAN KID CANNOT DO THAT. SO I THINK THATS PART OF THE REASON.

  • THEY DONT HAVE ACCESS TO SERVICES. I THINK WERE IN AGREEMENT ON THAT.

  • >> >>DAN: BILL FROM HILO.

  • IVE BEEN USING CANNABIS MOST OF MY LIFE. RAISED TWO HARVARD GRADS.

  • ANTICANNABIS GUYS ARE WRONG. ITS NOT A GATEWAY DRUG.

  • ENCOURAGES COPS TO TAKE MARIJUANA WITHOUT DUE PROCESS.

  • WE DONT NEED GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE. IT SHOULD BE UP TO THE ADULT INDIVIDUAL.

  • BIG ISLAND, MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, YOURE ONE OF THEM, WHO ISSUE LICENSES TO INDIVIDUALS,

  • RIGHT? TO USE POT FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES.

  • IS THE STATE AWARE OF THIS AND HOW WOULD THE STATE LEGALIZATION BE DIFFERENT?

  • THEY WERE AWARE OF IT. >> OF COURSE.

  • >> IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT DIVISION HERE IN HAWAII.

  • ITS RUN BY THE STATE. >>DAN: HOW DO THEY GET IT?

  • IF ITS ILLEGAL, THEN HOW DO YOU GET IT? CAN YOU PRESCRIBE IT?

  • >> NO. NOBODY CAN PRESCRIBE IT AND THATS PART OF

  • THE PROBLEMS. WE HAVE PATIENTS COME TO US SAY, ELDERLY PEOPLE

  • WITH CANCER, AND THEY SAY, OKAY, I HAVE MY CERTIFICATION.

  • WHERE CAN I GET MY MEDICINE? NOW?

  • THIS IS ONE MORE DOUBLE STANDARD. WE GO, WELL, THEY MAKE NO PROVISIONS FOR THAT.

  • YOU HAVE TO FIND IT ON YOUR OWN. AND THEY GO, WE DONT KNOW ANYBODY.

  • ARENT THERE ANY STORES? NO.

  • THERE ARENT ANY STORES. AND EVEN AT BEST, IF YOU REQUEST FIND SEEDS,

  • WHICH ARE STILL ILLEGAL, YOU IS TO GROW IT FOR 3 OR 4 MONTHS INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO

  • GO AND GET YOUR NICE SAFE MEDICINE AT A STORE. SO THIS IS ONE OF MANY ISSUES OF PATIENT RIGHTS

  • WHERE THEY ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. I CAN WRITE YOU FOR OXYCONTIN AN JUST WALK

  • OVER TO THE DRUG STORE AND GET THIS TOTALLY FATAL DRUG, BUT THE SAFE ONE IS NOT THERE.

  • ITS A DOUBLE STANDARD ALL THE WAY AND IT HAS BEEN FOR 76 YEARS.

  • >> WE WOULD AGREE WITH DRWEBB. FOR THAT 5% OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE CANCER,

  • HIV, AIDS SYNDROME, GLAUCOMA WHO ARE TRULY NEEDING SOME KIND OF PAIN DID SHALL RELIEF

  • OR PAIN OR NAUSEA, FOR THE 95% WHO HAVE MORE SOFT TISSUE KINDS OF PAIN OR ISSUES, THOSE

  • WHO ARE OBVIOUSLY ARE UNDER 30 YEARS OF AGE, MANY OF THEM ARE, AND EVEN THOSE WHO ARE UNDER

  • 18 WHICH I AM AMAZED THAT THERES KIDS WHO PARENTS ARE SIGNING OFF ON THEIR MEDICAL MARIJUANA

  • CARDS. I DONT KNOW ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT THEM, ABOUT

  • YOU I WOULD SAY THAT THERES SOMETHING THAT IS NOT RIGHT THERE.

  • >> ACTUALLY, THERES OVER 100 MILLION PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WITH CHRONIC PAIN.

  • PEOPLE NEED RELIEF AND THEY NEED SAFE RELIEF. HIPPOCRATIC OATH SAYS FIRST, DO NO HARM.

  • HERE WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT PAIN MEDICINE WHICH KILLS NOBODY AND WERE NOT GIVEN THE OPTION

  • TO USE IT AND PEOPLE NEED RELIEF. I MEAN, ITS VERY INHUMANE TO DENY THEM THIS

  • SAFE MEDICATION WHEN THIS THEY ARE STUCK WITH THE ONES THEY HATE.

  • PEOPLE WHO GO ON THE OPIOIDS TELL THEY THEYRE DEPRESSED, SUICIDAL, CONSTIPATED, ADDICTED,

  • GO INTO WITHDRAWAL. >>DAN: YOURE MAKING DEPRESS THE DESCRIBING

  • THIS. >> AND HERE IS SOMETHING SAFE THAT THEY CAN

  • BE USING AND YET, WE DENY THEM. >> TO THINK AS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HOLDS

  • IT AS A SCHEDULE 1 DRUG. SO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE ENFORCING

  • THAT IN THE STATES THAT ARE ALLOWING MEDICAL MARIJUANA, FOR POLITICAL REASONS, THEY ARE

  • CHOOSING NOT TO, BUT IN OUR SYSTEM, FEDERAL LAW PREEMPTS STATE LAW THATS CONTRARY.

  • THEY SHOULD BE ENFORCING AND THEY JUST ARENT. >>DAN: HASNT THE PRESIDENT AND THE ATTORNEY

  • GENERAL SAID WE ARE NOT GOING TO PROSECUTE, ISNT THAT RIGHT?

  • >> I DONT THINK THEY SAID, BUT THEY JUST RUN. I DONT THINK SHE SAID.

  • >> THEY HAVE MADE PRONOUNCEMENTS IN THE PAST BUT THEN THEY HAVENT ALWAYS FOLLOWED THROUGH.

  • I WANTED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF FEDERAL PREEMPTION. THERES A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT.

  • STATES HAVE THE RIGHT TO REGULATE, USE THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES IN ANY WAY THEY

  • WISH. THEY CAN SET UP ANY KINDS OF LAWS THAT THEY

  • WISH ABOUT THE SUBSTANCES. THEY ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO ENFORCE FEDERAL

  • LAW. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE FEDS DONT GO AFTER

  • PATIENTS IS THEY SIMPLY DONT HAVE THE RESOURCE. I MEAN, WERE TALKING ABOUT 18 STATES AND WHERE

  • DO YOU THINK THE POLITICAL WILL WOULD BE IN ARRESTING SICK PEOPLE?

  • I THINK YOU MISUNDERSTOOD ME. I WAS SAYING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD

  • BE ENFORCING THE SCHEDULING OF IT AS A SCHEDULE 1 DRUG.

  • AND NOT ALLOW THE STATES TO HAVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA. THATS JUST AS A LAW PROFESSOR LOOKING AT THE

  • STATUTE. THATS WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING.

  • AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, ITS NOT HAPPENING. >> WHAT ABOUT THE 10TH AMENDMENT AND THE STATES

  • RIGHTS? >> 10TH AMENDMENTS, BARELY BREATHING.

  • YOU SEE ALL OF THOSE HHS MANDATE CASES AND STUFF, ITS VERY INTERESTING.

  • >> DOES MARIJUANA KILL BRAIN CELLS OR DOES IT INHIBIT DEVELOPMENT?

  • ASHLEY IN MOILIILI WANTS TO KNOW. >> I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE DEAD BEFORE THEY

  • CAN DO THE AUTOPSY. >> THERES NO EVIDENCE OF IT.

  • CARL SAGAN SMOKED IT HIS ENTIRE LIFE. WHY HE WAS SUCH A GREAT TEACHER, TOTALLY BRILLIANT.

  • THERES NO EVIDENT OF THAT. >> THERES SOME STUDIES.

  • IM SURE YOU FOLKS HAVE OTHER STUDIES. BUT IT SHOWS THAT THERE IS LOSS OF IQ POINTS

  • FOR LONG TERM PERSISTENT USE OF MARIJUANA. EVEN WHEN YOU STOP USING IT, AFTER YOURE 18,

  • YOU DONT REGAIN THAT. >> I NEVER HEARD OF THOSE.

  • >> I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CARE OYOURE TALK ABOUT. >> I REQUEST SHOW YOU.

  • LONG TERM STUDY. NEW ZEALAND.

  • >> RELATIVELY SMALL CITY IN NEW ZEALAND. ITS BEEN, I DONT WANT TO SAY DEBUNKED, BUT

  • GREAT DEBATE ABOUT IT. ALL SORTS OF PUB LISTLY WHEN IT FIRST CAME

  • OUT. THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE STUDY,

  • THEY WERE ALL MAORI KIDS. SO INDIGENOUS NEW ZEALANDERS AND ALL FROM

  • LOW SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS. THE PEOPLE WHO DID THE STUDY, IT WAS A PERSPECTIVE

  • STUDY WHICH MEANS THEY STUDIED THEM FOR YEARS, THIS SAME GROUP OF KIDS.

  • AND THEY DIDNT CONTROL FOR THE OTHER VARIABLES. THESE KIDS DIDNT HAVE GOOD NUTRITION, ARGUABLY.

  • HOUSING SITUATION WAS TENUOUS. THEY WERE LIVING IN POOR CONDITIONS.

  • SO ITS NOT AS CLEAR CUT AS IT MIGHT APPEAR TO BE.

  • >> TWO QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL. BY DAVID OF HONOLULU HON.

  • IF DRUGS WERE LEGALIZED, HOW DO WE PREVENT UNDERAGE PEOPLE OF USING DRUGS?

  • ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF LEGALIZING ALL DRUGS IN. >> THATS NOT WHAT WERE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.

  • I THINK WE NEED TO START. >> OP TOPIC.

  • >> WE NEED TO START WITH THE DRUGS THAT IS THE MOST READILY AVAILABLE, MOST WIDELY USED.

  • >>DAN: IM SAYING THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS IN OBVIOUSLY FEARFUL.

  • THAT PRECISELY THATS WHAT WILL HAPPEN. >> SLIP RIP SLOPE.

  • >> SHALL SLIPPERY SLOPE. >> DECRIMINALIZATION WAS THE 15% TAX THATS

  • STATE WOULD REAP OFF OF THE SALE OF LEGAL MARIJUANA.

  • SO THAT CALLER IS ON TO SOMETHING THE LEGISLATURE COULD REALLY RACK IN THE TAXES IF EVERYTHING

  • WAS DECRIMINALIZED AND LEGALIZED AND THEN TAXED.

  • >> THAT IS A REASON IN ALL HONESTY THAT A LOT OF STATES ARE GOING IN WAY.

  • BUT ITS NOT IN ISOLATION. THEY SEE THESE OTHER WAYS OF LOOKING AT IT

  • WHICH IS TAKE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING USED FOR ARRESTING MARIJUANA

  • USERS, ESTIMATED TO BE $9 MILLION IN HAWAII EVERY YEAR, FROM THIS U.H. ECONOMIST AND DIVERSE

  • THOSE TO THINGS THAT ARE VOTERS OF HAWAII THINK ARE MORE IMPORTANT USES OF THAT MONEY.

  • THERE WAS A POLL THAT WAS DONE RECENTLY BY REPUTABLE POLLING FIRM THEY FOUND THAT 58%

  • OF VOTERS IN HAWAII APPROVE OF DECRIMINALIZATION. >> QMARK HAD 603 MEMBERS OF THE STUDY.

  • VERY SMALL STUDY. ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE DAVID C NIXON PUBLIC.

  • >> YES. >> PUBLIC POLLING FIRM.

  • VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE THE WAY THAT THEY WERE FIGURING OUT THIS $9 MILLION WAS TO

  • TAKE THE NUMBER OF MARIJUANA ARRESTS. >> 1400.

  • >> MULTIPLY IT BY THE, OR THE PERCENTAGE, AND MULTIPLY THAT AGAINST THE TOTAL COST OF

  • THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM RATHER THAN LOOKING AT THE INCREMENTAL COSTS PER ARREST.

  • AND AT ONE OF THE LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS, ALL THE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE AGAINST

  • THE BILLS. BUT HE SAID THAT THE MOST OF THE DIVISIONS

  • IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DONT DO ANY ARRESTS AT ALL.

  • AND THEIR COSTS ARE IN THAT BIG NUMBER THATS PERCENTAGE IS APPLIED TO.

  • THATS JUST NOT THE PROBABLE PROPER WAY TO MEASURE WHAT THE EFFECT ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE

  • BUDGET IS GOING TO BE. I HAVE THE STATS IN FRONT OF ME.

  • 14,000? >> 1400.

  • PER YEAR. >> WHAT WE HAVE HERE, FROM OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL

  • AND PROSECUTORS OFFICE, 594 ARRESTS IN 2012 FOR SMALL POSSESSION OF SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA

  • ONLY 7 OF THEM WERE CONFINED GREATER THAN 10 DAYS.

  • MOST OF THEM WERE EITHER DISMISSED. HALF OF THEM WERE DISMISSED.

  • >>DAN: ONE OF OUR CALLERS SAID, THEY SAID HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED BY HONOLULU

  • POLICE ON OAHU ONLY. FOR MARIJUANA.

  • I CANT THINK OF ANYBODY. >> THATS WHAT ITS SAYING HERE.

  • LESS THAN 1% OF ALL THE ARRESTS, DAN. I DONT KNOW WHERE YOU GET THAT 1400.

  • >> IF YOU LOOK AT PROFESSOR NIXONS STUDY,. >> I DID.

  • >> HIS CITATIONS ARE FROM THE FBI BUREAU OF CRIME STATISTICS AND FROM STATE AT THAT TIME

  • STAT HE IS PARTICULARS. HE DIDNT MAKE THESE UP.

  • >> HE MUST HAVE DISCOUNTED BECAUSE I HAVE 594.

  • >> HIS CAME FROM 2010. THE POLICE HAVE MORE RECENT DATA.

  • I WOULD JUST SAY THAT NONE OF US IS AN ECONOMIST AND I THINK THAT STUFF IS VERY DIFFICULT TO

  • UNDERSTAND. AND HAVE AN ECONOMIST ON NEXT TIME AND WE

  • CAN TALK ABOUT THE WAY DID HE IT. >>DAN: FROM ELIZABETH IN KAIMUKI.

  • CAN YOU DISCUSS HOW TO ACCESS MEDICAL MARIJUANA? YOU MENTIONED THEY HAVE TO GET THE APPROVAL.

  • CANCER PATIENTS MUST FIND A DRUG DEALER OR GROW THEIR OWN.

  • SHES ABOUT TO START CHEMOTHERAPY AND WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GET IT.

  • >> ACTUALLY, WHEN THAT IS A PROBLEM. THATS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO POINT OUT.

  • THE STATE OF HAWAII MAKES NO PROVISIONS. IN FACT, WHEN I CERTIFY SOMEONE, THEY MAKE

  • ME INITIAL THAT I WILL IN NO WAY FACILITATE THE ACQUISITION WAS MARIJUANA.

  • CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? IF I SAID

  • >> I HAVE IN OTHER TREATMENT FOR YOU BUT IM SORRY I CANT TALK ABOUT HOW TO GET IT.

  • AND YOURE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT IT. THATS ONE OF THE MANY THINGS IN PATIENT RIGHTS

  • THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. ITS VERY UNFAIR.

  • THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN NEED. >> WE NEED TO ROLL BACK WHEN THE LEGISLATURE

  • ENACTED THIS LAW WHICH WAS IN THE YEAR 2000. THIS GOES BACK TO SOMETHING SOMEBODY ASKED

  • A FEW MINUTES AGO. HOW DID THIS ALL HAPPEN.

  • THE LEGISLATURE GOVERNOR CAYETANO INTRODUCED THE BILL AND THE LEGISLATURE PASSED IT IN

  • 2000. AND WE WERE THE FIRST STATE TO PASS MEDICAL

  • MARIJUANA LAW THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE UP UNTIL THEN, IT HAD ALL BEEN BOY VOTER INITIATIVE,

  • WHOLE DIFFERENT PROCESS. >> THEY DIDNT MAKE ANY PROVISION FOR A DISPENSARY

  • SYSTEM OR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM BECAUSE IN THOSE DAYS, THERE WAS NO MODELS OUT THERE.

  • BUT NOW, ALL OF THE STATES THAT HAVE COME ON BOARD AFTER US AND MANY OF THEM WERE LEGISLATIVE

  • AND SOME OF THEM WERE BY INITIATIVE HAVE SOME KIND OF DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

  • RHODE ISLAND JUST OPENED THIS WEEK. WASHINGTON DID.

  • C HAS ONE. MASSACHUSETTS, HAS ONE.

  • IT HAS TO BE PART OF IT. OTHERWISE, THE PATIENTS ARE BEING FORCED TO

  • GO TO THE BLACK MARKET. IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE.

  • TWO COMMENTS. ONE IS I THINK DRWEBB WILL HAVE A COMMENT

  • TOO ABOUT IT. THAT THERES OSHIRO WAYS TO GET THE BENEFICIAL

  • EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA. CANNABOID PART, MORE HEALING PART.

  • MARINOL PILL FORM WHICH CAN BE DESCRIBED. AND SATAVIX, ORAL SPRAY.

  • YOU DONT GO GET HIGH BUT THE GET THE BENEFITS FROM THAT CANABINOID.

  • WHY DO YOU NEED TO SMOKE MARIJUANA TO GET THE BENEFITS JUST LIKE YOU DONT HAVE TO SMOKE

  • OPIUM TO GET THE EFFECTS OF MORPHINE. WE GET DID IN A PILL FORM AND A DOCTOR CAN

  • FREE PRESCRIBE IT. THATS WHERE WE COULD HAVE SOME COMMON GROUND.

  • WE SHOULD BE PUSHING THE FDA FOR MORE RESEARCH AND TESTING ON PRODUCTINGS LIKE SATAVIX, ORAL

  • SPRAY. >> WHICH IS NOT APPROVED IN THIS COUNTRY YET.

  • ONLY IN CAN D.A. . >> THATS WHAT I SAWED.

  • WE SHOULD BE PUSHING FDA TO HURRY IT UP. >> THE REASON THEY CANNOT IS BECAUSE OF THE

  • PEOPLE WHO ARE OPPOSING RESCHEDULING. ITS STUCK IN SCHEDULE 1.

  • AS A SCHEDULE 1 DRUG WHERE THE GOVERNMENT VERY DISHORN HE IS TI HAS IT STRUCK PRETENDING

  • ITS A DANGEROUS DRUG. YOURE NOT ALLOWED TO DO BENEFICIAL RESEARCH.

  • ITS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. I WOULD LOVE TO TALK ABOUT MARINOL.

  • ITS A PILL. THIS IS WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.

  • ITS 100% THC SYNTHETIC, WHICH IS THE MOST PSYCHO ACTIVE DRUG AND IT DOES GET YOU HIGH

  • IF YOU TAKE IT. ALMOST NOBODY LIKES THE PILL.

  • IT COSTS $25 A PILL. ITS OVER $2,000 FOR A MONTHS SUPPLY AND IT

  • DOESNT WORK WELL. THE PERFECT WAY TO TAKE CANNABIS IS EITHER

  • IN A TINCTURE, YOU CAN TITRATE YOUR DOSE AND NOT TAKE TOO MUCH.

  • YOU WANT TO STAY FUNCTIONAL AND GET PAIN RELIEF. BETTER YET, YOU GET A VAPORIZER.

  • ITS SMOKELESS, RAPID RELIABLE TITRATABLE. THERES A THING CALLED PATIENT CONTROLLED ANALGESIA,

  • BEST MEANS OF PAIN CONTROL EVER DEVICED. THEY USE IT IN HOSPITALS.

  • YOU HAVE A LITTLE BUTTON TO PUSH YOUR PAIN MEDICINE.

  • YOU DONT OVERSHOOT OR UNDERSHOOT. YOU GET BETTER PAIN CONTROL AND YOU USE LESS

  • MEDICINE. WHEN YOURE USING A VAPORIZER, YOURE DOING

  • EXACTLY THE SAME THING. TITRATE YOUR OWN MEDICINE.

  • TAKE ONE LITTLE PUFF AND SEE IF ITS GOOD. IF IT RELIEVES YOUR PAIN.

  • YOU STOP. YOU CAN RELIEVE PAIN AT LEVELS THAT ARE LOWER

  • THAN WHERE YOU GET A BUZZ. WHEREAS IF YOURE FORCED TO TAKE MARINOL, YOURE

  • GOING TO GET FAIRLY BUZZED BECAUSE YOU CANT CONTROL THE DOZE.

  • SATAVEX IS NOTHING MORE THAN CONCENTRATED HASH OIL WHICH HAS GOT A PEPPERMINT FLAVOR

  • AND SPRAY IT UNDER THE TONGUE. YOU HAVE TO SWALLOW IT AND TAKES IT AN HOUR

  • IT GOAT IN YOUR SYSTEM. LEGAL IN CANADA, GREAT BRITAIN, SEVERAL OTHER

  • COUNTRY. IT COSTS $700 A SPRAY IN CANADA.

  • IF YOU GO TO THE COMPASSION CLUB, ITS SAME THING IS TWO CENTS A SPRAY.

  • PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY WANTS TO KEEP THESE THINGS EXPENSIVE.

  • THEYRE ONE OF THE MAIN FORCES THAT PREVENT THIS FROM BECOME BEING LEGALIZED OR DECRIMINALIZED.

  • >> SO I THINK WE WOULD AGREE WITH YOU THAT PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES ARE SHOULD BE HELD

  • TO ACCOUNTABLE ALSO. IM STILL LOST ABOUT HOW YOU CAN DOSE MARIJUANA

  • JOINT. HOW DO YOU GO DO THAT?

  • >> I JUST TOLD YOU HOW. YOU TAKE A LITTLE BIT AND THIS IS PATIENT

  • CONTROLLED ANALGESIA. THIS IS WHAT WORK.

  • HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THAT? TAKE 2 HITS.

  • YOU SAY TAKE ONE AND YOU STOP AND YOU WAIT. AND YOU SEE IF ITS WITH ENOUGH.

  • IF ITS ENOUGH, YOU STOP. IF ITS NOT, THEN YOU DECIDE.

  • YOURE THE ONE WHOS FEELING THE PAIN. YOURE THE ONLY ONE THAT KNOWS.

  • >> ITS NOT MEASURABLE. >> WAIT.

  • INTERESTINGLY IN THE SATAVEX BROCHURE, INFORMATION THAT COMES WITH THE SPRAY, IT SAYS, THE PATIENT

  • SHOULD TAKE A DOSAGE SUFFICIENT TO ALLEVIATE SYMPTOMS.

  • AND IT WILL VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON. SO THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT YOU KNOW,

  • IT ISNT  THATS WHY A LOT OF PHYSICIANS DONT LIKE IT BECAUSE IT ISNT A NICE LITTLE NEAT

  • PILL AND YOU GET 50 MILLIGRAMS OR WHATEVER. BUT ITS GOT A HISTORY OF BENEFICIAL RESULTS.

  • >> PHYSICIANS DONT KNOW THE CORRECT DOSE. WERE VERY ARROGANT WHEN WE PRETEND WE KNOW

  • YOU NEED 50 OR 1500 MILLIGRAMS OF THIS. ITSEN EXPERIMENT WHEN YOU TAKE IT.

  • WHEREAS YOU DO KNOW AND IF YOU GET TO JUST TITRATE THE DOSE UP SLOWLY, YOU GET THE RIGHT

  • DOSE WITH A MINIMUM OF SIDE EFFECTS. EVERY MEDICATION HAS SIDE EFFECTS AND YOU

  • WANT TO MINIMIZE THEM. THIS IS THE PERFECT DELIVERY SYSTEM.

  • >> I GUESS YOU KNOW WHATS IN THE DRUG. WHEREAS IN MARIJUANA PLANT, YOU DONT KNOW

  • WHAT YOURE GETTING IN THAT PRODUCT. I MEAN, PESTICIDES,.

  • >> THATS ON THE BLACK MARKET ALAN. THATS THE CASE FOR

  • >> YOURE MAKING OUR CASE. THANKS YOU.

  • >> GREAT. BUT YOURE ALSO SAYING THATS WHAT YOURE GIVING

  • PEOPLE. >> IF YOURE MAKING EACH OTHERS CASE, YOURE

  • AGREED. DID YOU SEE THAT?

  • DID YOU SEE THAT? PLEASE DISCUSS THE SIDE EFFECTS TO SECONDHAND

  • SMOKE, TO OTHERS. THANKS.

  • IVE BEEN TO ENOUGH CONCERTS, WHERE I WAS NOT, ALAN, BUT BOY, YOU CERTAINLY WE WERE ALL SMOKING

  • WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME IS WHAT DETERMINES HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS.

  • IT WOULD BE HARD TO ADDRESS. BUT YEAH.

  • >> I HAVE.SEEN ANY RESEARCH ON THAT AT ALL. >> YOU WONT FIND ANY SECONDHAND PROBLEMS FROM

  • MARIJUANA BECAUSE PEOPLE ONLY TAKE ONE OR TWO PUFFS. ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS ARE PEOPLE

  • WHO CHAIN SMOKE SIGNIFICANT VETTES AND SMOKE 20, 30, 40, 50 A DAY.

  • >> WHY ARE WE HAVING THIS DEBATE? OUR STATE IS SO CONSERVATIVE, WERE NOT GOING

  • TO DO ANYTHING. SCOTT SAIKI SAYS WE ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING,

  • DECRIMINALIZE THE HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER, AND ITS JUST THE TIME IS NOT RIGHT RIGHT NOW.

  • DO YOU THINK WE WILL? OR ARE WE A CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH STATE WERE

  • NOT GOING TO. >> MY INTEREST IS IN WHO GETS ELECTED NEXT

  • TIME AROUND. I THINK THAT WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION.

  • BUT ARE RESPECT TO ONLY TAKING 2 PUFFS, AND REGULATING YOUR SUFFICIENT, WHY THEN DOES

  • SOMEBODY NEED 46 TO 50 MARIJUANA CIGARETTES TO STAY UNDER THE LEGAL DECRIM LIMIT OF 20

  • GRAMS? >> THERES A VERY GOOD EXPLANATION FOR THAT.

  • THAT IS THAT I THINK EVERYBODY HERE AGREES THAT SMOKING IS THE LEAST HEALTHY WAY TO INGEST

  • THIS. IT HAS ITS BENEFITS BECAUSE IT COMES ON RIGHT

  • AWAY AND IF YOURE SUFFERING FROM NAUSEA, THEN IT WORKS WELL.

  • ALTHOUGH VAPORIZING GIVES YOU THE SAME RESULTS. A LOT OF PATIENTS ARE CHOOSING TO USE HE HAD

  • CAL FORMS OR TINCTURS OR CONCENTRATED FORMS. THEY NEED A LOT MORE OF THE RAW MATERIAL.

  • THEY HAVE BEEN TELLING US THAT WHAT PERMITTED NOW, WHICH IS 3 OUNCES IS NOT ENOUGH.

  • IF YOU COOK IT DOWN, YOU NEED A LOT MORE. >> TAKING IT WITH MARIJUANA CIGARETTE IS BETTER

  • BECAUSE YOU TAKE THE COUPLE TOKES, ITS MORE FOR A PARTY.

  • CAN PASS IT AROUND , THERES A COMMUNAL ASPECT TO IT.

  • IM FOR THAT. >> THERE IS A CEREMONIAL EFFECT.

  • >> WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND, DAVID FROM KONA WANTS TO KNOW, CAN YOU PLEASE DISCUSS THE

  • EFFECTS OF OPERATION GREEN HARVEST ON ICE USE ON THE BIG ISLAND?

  • IVE HAD A FRIEND OF MINE WHO IN THAT STILL IN THE ACADEMIA AND STILL OCCASIONAL USER

  • OF MARIJUANA FROM HIS YOUTH AND HE ARGUES THAT GREEN HARVEST WAS VERY, VERY BAD, HAD

  • A VERY BAD EFFECT BECAUSE IT DESTROYED THE MARIJUANA BUSINESS AND THEN YOU GO IN WITH

  • MIXING MORE DANGEROUS THINGS. ICE AND METH AND WE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER

  • OFF JUST USING MARIJUANA. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT.

  • >> I THINK THERES STILL A LOT OF MARIJUANA AROUND.

  • >> HES TALKING ABOUT RISE OF ICE. THERE WAS

  • >> I DONT THINK THERES A CORRELATION. >> THERES A VERY OBSCURE PAPER BY THE INSTITUTE

  • OF JUSTICE AND ITS CALLED JUSTICE BRIEF. IT WAS PUBLISHED IN 1992 OR SOMETHING.

  • I HAPPEN TO HAVE A COPY. IT SAYS IT TALKS ABOUT THE LESS AVAILABILITY

  • OF MARIJUANA BECAUSE OF ALL THE GREEN HARVEST AND OTHER RAIDS.

  • AT THE SAME TIME, ICE USE STARTED HAPPENING. THAT WAS WHEN IT WAS STILL COMING IN FROM

  • THE PHILIPPINES IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES. SOS THAT WAS THEY SAID, THERE WAS A CORRELATION,

  • CERTAINLY A TIME WHEN THIS WAS ALL HAPPENING. BUT MY THESIS IS WHEN I ICE FIRST CAME TO

  • THE ISLAND, AS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HERE SMOKE IT.

  • WHEN THEY DONT DO IN MOST OTHER CASE PLACES. THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF MARIJUANA.

  • LOCAL DEALER WOULD SAY, BUT I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE YOU CAN SMOKE.

  • AND I THINK IN THE EARLY DAYS, PEOPLE IN HAWAII WERE NAIVE ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF ICE.

  • AND HOW DIFFERENT IT WAS. >>

  • >>DAN: ALAN, SOMEBODY IS AFTER YOU. THEY WANT TO KNOW, FOR ALAN SHINN, MIKE IN

  • KAHALUU WANTS TO KNOW, YOU OR ANYONE SUFFERED FROM CHRONIC PAIN.

  • IF POT IS ONLY DRUG TO RELIEF THE PAIN, WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO SMOKE IT.

  • >> I THINK WE GO BACK TO THE SAME THING. THERES OTHER FORMS OF PAIN RELIEF THAT ARE

  • AVAILABLE. AND I THINK THAT SMOKING MARIJUANA IS NOT

  • THE ONLY WAY TO GO. >> THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LOVES TO SAY THERES

  • NO MEDICALLY ACCEPTED USE OF MARIJUANA. NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL MUCH MEDICINE, NUMBER

  • WITHIN SUBSCRIBED MEDDLE CAL JOURNAL. LAST MONTH THEY RAN A CASE SCENARIO FOR PEOPLE

  • WHO SUBSCRIBE ON LINE AND THAT PHYSICIANS, ASSISTANT ITS, NURSE PRACTICERSES AND THEY

  • HAD A WOMAN WITH CANCER RUN OUT OF OPTIONS. MEDICAL MARIJUANA STATE.

  • THEY ASKED THE QUESTION, SHE WANTS TO USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

  • SHOULD WE RECOMMEND IT? THEY HAVE A DOCTOR POLLED PRO AND ANTI AND

  • THEY POLLED PEOPLE. 76% OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID YES.

  • WE SHOULD RECOMMEND MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR THIS WOMAN.

  • SO THESE ARE MOSTLY PHYSICIANS. THESE ARE ALL HEALTH PRACTICERS AND 76% ARE

  • AGREEING THAT YES, WE SHOULD DO THIS. >> ITS THE 5% AGAIN, DRWEBB.

  • I THINK I THINK IM CERTAINLY COMPASSIONATE FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO REALLY ARE TERMINALLY

  • ILL AND HAVE NO OTHER RECOURSE OR ALTERNATIVES. WE WOULD SAY YES.

  • WHY NOT? THEY CAN USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

  • IM TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER 95% WHO IS QUESTIONABLE ABOUT THEIR USE OF MARIJUANA.

  • >> ALAN, OUR LEGISLATURE SET IT UP SO THE PHYSICIANS ARE GATE KEEPERS.

  • YOURE SAYING YOU DONT TRUST THE PHYSICIAN OF THE STATE AND THERES ABOUT 188 NOW PAR

  • TI PAYTONING IN THE PROGRAM, THAT YOU DONT TRUST THEIR JUDGMENT AS TO WHETHER, THEY HAVE

  • TO DO A RISK BENEFIT ANALYSIS LIKE THEY DO FOR ANY PLED CASE.

  • LOOKING AT THE PERSON, BEFORE THEM AND THEIR MEDICAL RECORDERS.

  • >> WELL, AGAIN, I DONT THINK ITS REALLY THAT ISSUE.

  • I THINK THAT DOCTORS ARE PROBABLY MORE PRONE TO WANT TO PRESCRIBE MEDICATION FOR PAIN.

  • I THINK WE SEE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD. SO WHY WOULD MEDICAL MARIJUANA DOCTORS BE

  • ANY DIFFERENT? >> THESE ARE NOT MEDICAL MARIJUANA DOCTORS.

  • >> THIS IS THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE. >>DAN: LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.

  • MEDICAL QUESTION. ARE THERE ANY EFFECTS ON UNBORN CHILDREN OF

  • MARIJUANA USE? MY GRANDSON DISPLAYS MENTAL CHALLENGES.

  • COULD THAT HAVE BEEN RELATED TO MARIJUANA USE.

  • >> NOT NONE. ONE STUDY IN JAMAICA WITH WOMEN AND DID NOT

  • FIND ANY EFFECTS T WASNT A HAVE VERY BIG STUDY. STILL UNKNOWN.

  • WE GENERALLY ADVISE PREGNANT WOMEN NOT TO USE SMOKE OR INHALE OR USE ANY DRUGS WHILE

  • THEYRE PREGNANT ESPECIALLY IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER, FIRST THIRD OF THE PREGNANCY.

  • >>DAN: SUSAN IN MOLOKAI, URGES US, SEEN THE INDEPENDENT SHOW ON MONDAY.

  • US HO I LIVE IN WAS ON PBS. AS I AM.

  • SO MUCH  EVERYTHING YOU ARE TONIGHT DISCUSSING. HOW MANY OF YOU SAW IT?

  • ANYBODY SEE IT. >> I KNOW ABOUT IT.

  • TAPED IT. >> SHOW OF HANDS.

  • NONE OF US. PLEASE WATCH IT.

  • WELL DO OUR BEST SUSAN. WERE RUNNING OUT OF TIE.

  • IF WE SAME PANEL COMES BACK. 2 YEARS FROM NOW.

  • WILL MARIJUANA BE DECRIMINALIZED? HAWAII OR WILL BE LEGALIZED?

  • WHAT DO YOU THINK. HAWAII FAMILY ADVOCATES IS AN ELECTION HEARING

  • ORGANIZATION AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO INTERVENE IN ELECTIONS.

  • THATS WHAT WERE DOING. IF WERE SUCCESSFUL, NO.

  • >> ALAN? >> WE HAVE A NEW ORGANIZATION CALLED HAWAII

  • SAM, SMART APPROACHES TO MARIJUANA AND WERE BUILDING THE COALITION TO REALLY OPPOSE LEGALIZATION.

  • BUT WE ARE OPEN TO DIALOGUE AROUND MARIJUANA POLICIES ANY WHO, INCLUDING DECRIMINALIZATION.

  • ALTHOUGH, I FEEL THAT WEVE ALREADY DECRIMINALIZED MARIJUANA AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN HAWAII.

  • >>DAN: CHARLIE? >> I THINK AS LONG AS ITS LEFT TO THE LEGISLATURE,

  • THEYLL BE VERY TIMID AND OF COURSE, THEYRE PAID BY CERTAIN ENTITIES.

  • AND HAVE SPECIAL INTERESTS. IF THEY LET THE PEOPLE VOTE, YES.

  • IT WOULD BE LEGALIZED. >> PAM?

  • >> I I THINK IT WILL BE DEFINITELY BE DECRIMINALIZED 2 YEARS.

  • WHETHER OR NOT THEYLL BE BOLD ENOUGH TO LEGALIZE IT WILL DEPEND A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENS IN WASHING

  • GONE AN COLORADO STATE. WE HAVE A NEW COALITION TOO.

  • FRESH APPROACH HAWAII.ORG. >>DAN: THATS IT.

  • THANKS YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALAN, CHARLIE, THANKS

  • VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT.

  • NEXT WEEK ON INSIGHTS, EVERY GOVERNOR AND MAYOR IN RECENT MEMORY HAS DECLARED HELPING

  • HONOLULUS HOMELESS POPULATION AMONG THEIR TOP PRIORITIES.

  • HOMELESSNESS IS A COMPLEX ISSUE. WHICH WELL EXPLORE WITH POLICY MAKERS, HOMELESS

  • ADVOCATES, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS. THATS NEXT TIME ON INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAII.

  • IM DAN BOYLAN. A HUI HO

>> TONIGHT, ON INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAII, DURING THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, CIVIL LIBERTIES

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