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It's just a study, but what do you think?
The Hawaii State Senate has until April 25 to vote on a bill that would commission a study to explore whether the state should decriminalize all drugs for personal use, including so-called "hard drugs" like meth, cocaine, and heroin. Hawaii's House of Representatives unanimously approved the measure last month, and it has the support of local groups across the political spectrum, from libertarians to immigrant rights advocates.
https://news.vice.com/article/hawaii-clo...roin-drugs
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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While I'd like to think that it's an encouraging sign that the powers-that-be are actually recognizing the situation for the health issue it is, rather than a moral crime, and considering better spending funds on treatment options instead of imprisonment, but the more likely kalokoa-esque truth is that it's an easy way to spend money and give lip-service to something being "done" and simply ignore (or restudy) the findings.
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The police, lawyers, judges, prisons... won't like this one bit.
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The Dutch are considered the most free of all people, with the least restrictions of all civilized nations. But I don't think drugs like ICE are legal there.
If this were to go thru, IMO we'd have too many drug addicts migrating to Hawaii especially the inexpensive Puna district, messing up the lifestyle for everyone else. We already have a way too generous/enabling welfare system and look at the people that attracts.
It needs to come from the Feds or a few states at once, not just Hawaii.
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FYI - the Netherlands does not enforce for simple posession of meth, only sales and production.
Given the lax enforcement from judges here, perhaps we're already experimenting with decriminializing an even wider array of crimes?
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Last time I was in Nicaragua you could get anything you wanted at the pharmacy. If the pharmacist thought you were abusing the medication, he would alert the Federales, and somehow the 6x6 would show up at their door, and they would "disappear". A thought to ponder, as the Feds have their rules....
Community begins with Aloha
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http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/opinion/c...-war-drugs
It doesn't matter whether the government targets whiskey or cocaine; a ban forces legal businesses out of the market -- and armed criminal gangs take it over. They then go to war to control the trade. But once the prohibition ends, so does the violence. (Ask yourself: Where are the violent alcohol dealers today?)
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Some results of drug decriminalization are counter-intuitive, or at least different than what we are told to expect should hopped up drug infused dope fiends be released into the general population.
Drug use has been decriminalized in Portugal for 14 years now, and here are a few of the results:
* Drug use has declined overall among the 15- to 24-year-old population, those most at risk of initiating drug use, according to Transform.
* Drug-induced deaths have decreased steeply
* HIV infection rates among injecting drug users have been reduced at a steady pace
http://mic.com/articles/110344/14-years-....CuA4vGJFM
There are of course some consequences that are problematic. Decriminalization is not one size fits all solution to what is a widespread crisis in most industrialized nations. But the U.S. managed to function for well over one hundred years without laws prohibiting drug use until The Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914.
If nothing else, the Hawaii State Legislature could use their contacts with the media to educate the public.
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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I am a member of a law enforcement organization with strong views on this topic. I believe that we have a unique view on the effects to the community, and are able to speak from a position of authority on the matter (pun intended.) I encourage anyone with questions on this topic to review the publications available at
http://www.leap.cc/ . You might be surprised at what we have to say.
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My partner's father was a state supreme court judge in a state that had very punitive laws for simple drug possession when he first went to the bench in a lower court, he worked tirelessly to introduce diversion programs and drug courts so people's lives weren't being destroyed for possession of as little as a seed. One thing he said always stuck with me: "the legal consequences of using a drug shouldn't do more damage to a person's life than using the drug does."
