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It seriously time we truly consider to decriminalize Marijuana here in the 50th state! For christsake this is 2008 and we, as a society are still acting very anal towards this plant. This plant also has medicinal value too.
Lord knows Puna,and the Big Island could benefit from an additional cash crop!? Isn't it time we embrace what Cannabis has to offer our community?
http://www.dpfhi.org/downloads/BudgetImp...Decrim.pdf
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have a great diet. You're allowed to eat anything you want, but you must eat it with naked fat people.
~Ed Bluestone
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Support the 'Jack Herer Initiative'NOW!!
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Prohibition was repealed because the Alcohol producing corporations had enough lobby power to convince congress that they could make BIG BUCKS via "sin" tax on Alcohol which the government does quite effectively. It is essentially that same issue that keeps Marijuana illegal. If you can grow it on your own and avoid the tax experienced by Alcohol and Tobacco industries and even potentially reduce the income from Alcohol tax because of a swing away from that product, well, there goes the impetus for congress to get behind it.
I don't like how the system works, but then again it works better than any other system. Although I am not a user of any of the three mentioned products (alcohol, tobacco or marijuana) it's illegality is ridiculous.
Now I know I am a terrible radical, but the truth be told, I think ALL drugs should be legal. If it is legal, you can produce it in a corporate setting and do the tax thing, and Americans being product oriented and lazy, most will buy commercial within 10 years. Once drugs are legal, they can be regulated (which they can NOT be now). The whole black market is eliminated and the crime issues are reduced dramatically. Our jail and prison populations would be increasingly reduced. With no black market, there would be no guys hanging around the local school yard trying to get the kiddies using... no benefit in it. Think of the radical changes to our community as a whole.
Yes, those in Puna would likely grow their own, at least to start. But remember, most of us don't bother to do our own production. We buy pre-baked bread and beer in a bottle or a can. Think about it.
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
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I couldnt agree with you more Pam. If Amseterdam could be a role model, if you look at their statistics their drug use per cap. is rather low compaired to the U.S.
God know 70% of our prison population are either drug users or dealers, mostly users, which your not dealing with their addiction your just postponing it until their release, menwhile its costing us a fortune in taxes to keep them their.
setting my soul free....
setting my soul free....
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The only way to accomplish your goal is through organized advocacy. It is the only thing that works. A lone voice in the rainforest won't do it. You must link with others who are likeminded, and vote for those who are willing to listen.
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My thoughts...
I assume that Hawai'i has State and County Initiatives.
Organize, circulate petitions, get enough signitures and get the proposal on the ballot, win the vote.
Challenges:
You need legal experts to write the initiative correctly so it won't get throw out even if it wins.
It takes a lot of money to organize and get signitures. Here in California companies and signiture takers are professional. They do this for a living.
Federal law will still try to trump any new law legalizing marijuana.
A task worth trying but one that can't be taken lightly...
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Start with the mayor. There are a couple of mayoral candidates who understand this issue. Stacy Higa is one.
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Can't stand weed, can't stand people that wallow in it, but would love to see it legalized so that people with a bowl in their hand won't be able any longer to think that somehow they're doing something so revolutionary that they deserve a Nobel prize for toking.
But, being the libertarian that I am, have you folks considered this route?
http://www.fija.org
Hawaii is not a good place for this advocacy as I understand, but the idea is a grand one, and one with precedent to put the power of law back where it belongs.
If you can't be bothered to read the whole thing, puff, basically, constitutional law allows a jury to not only rule on the verdict of the case, but the law itself--that the law was basically unjust. In other words--a jury has a right to say, "the guy was guilty, but the law was stupid, so screw you, and don't send us any more of these bogus cases." Of course, this IS the point of the whole jury system from the start, but at this point in some states its actually illegal to tell a jury that.
Make of it what you will. The power is yours if you take it.
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Even if everyone in Hawaii signed the petition, wouldn't some Federal law still forbid it?
