cannabisnews.com: Testimony on 'Green Harvest' Testimony on 'Green Harvest' Posted by CN Staff on December 18, 2002 at 13:02:32 PT By Tiffany Edwards, West Hawaii Today Source: West Hawaii Today Big Island lawyer and Teen Court judge Cynthia Linet smoked marijuana every night for six months during her chemotherapy treatments for cancer in 1998, she told members of the County Council Tuesday in testimony opposing the marijuana eradication program. Linet was among 14 people who testified against "Green Harvest" which is funded by at least $500,000 annually in state and federal grants. Councilmembers won't address the program's funding until March, when they begin work on the budget. However, residents offered testimony at the Finance Committee meeting Tuesday when an October marijuana eradication report from the police chief was taken up.That report revealed 2,012 marijuana plants were seized during an Oct. 21 - 23 mission in East Hawaii, and an Oct. 28 - 30 mission in West Hawaii. In the South Kona area alone, 411 plants, including 200 seedling plants in Alae, were seized, according to the report. At Tuesday's hearing, Linet said she is not an advocate of teen - agers smoking marijuana, but noted some adults might prefer "a hit on a pipe" to "a martini." She said she used marijuana to combat non - Hodgkins lymphona and, not becoming addicted to the "benign drug," she quit when her chemotherapy treatment was over. At first, she said, she was discreet about her marijuana use but then "came out of the closet," telling prosecutors they should charge her with possession and use of the drug. She said they declined."I believe you may be getting a distorted picture of who the users are. They are your neighbors and they may be some of you," Linet told councilmembers. She said users are "little old ladies" who smoke in the afternoons and evenings, artists, musicians and "religious people who see God" when they smoke. "Most important, they are citizens in your community," she said. She said many users are professionals, "solid citizens" who do not testify publicly about their marijuana use "for fear of reprisals."She suggested the county's "scarce resources" should be directed toward the combat of " 'ice' (crystal methamphetamine) and crack."Tuesday's testimonials also included such regulars as marijuana advocate and perennial political candidate Aaron Anderson and Roger Christie, founder of Hawaii Cannabis Ministry, which claims 18,000 members. Christie called for a moratorium on the marijuana eradication program and suggested a lawsuit against councilmembers if they did not call for one by the onset of the new year.Christie also asked for a resolution demanding police on their missions fly over areas where less than 25 plants are growing. He reasoned that having between one and 25 plants is a misdemeanor violation. Anderson told of requests for a "mandatory program review that our (County) Charter promises us, guarantees us" which councilmembers have "waffled on" for years. He also suggested a lawsuit, specifically to impeach councilmembers and possibly the mayor and the prosecutor, if the council does not initiate the program review. Finance Committee Chairman Aaron Chung again suggested a workshop allowing residents to discuss with police how the marijuana eradication program affects their lives.He said he wanted to wait to arrange the workshop until after a new police chief was selected. Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna did not attend Tuesday's meeting because he was attending his formal swearing - in ceremony at the Hilo police station. Source: West Hawaii Today (HI)Author: Tiffany Edwards, West Hawaii TodayPublished: December 18, 2002Copyright: 2002 West Hawaii TodayContact: wht aloha.netWebsite: http://westhawaiitoday.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Hawaii Cannabis Ministryhttp://www.thc-ministry.org/Residents Testify Against Green Harvest Program http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14432.shtmlFour Pot Advocates Show Up for Budget Hearing http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12298.shtmlDEA Claims Green Harvest Rules Followed http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11894.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by FoM on December 22, 2002 at 15:44:15 PT Christmas Cheer to You Too Roger Christie! I hope you are having a good holiday season and thank you for Reverand Adler's address. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Roger Christie on December 20, 2002 at 22:30:57 PT: Christmas cheer Aloha. Yes, I know Jonathan's address in jail.Jonathan Adler 699 Wainuenue Avenue Hilo, Hawai'i 96720All the very best of the holy-days to you!love, Roger http://www.thc-ministry.org [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by The GCW on December 18, 2002 at 18:58:29 PT Canada's med-pot lawsuit Cannabis crusader leads med-pot patients in lawsuit to overturn Canada's med-pot prohibition.http://www.hempbc.com/articles/2593.htmlThere is a lot of things going on in court rooms. Collapse, is what We're watching for.Keep on the look out. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on December 18, 2002 at 16:25:09 PT Off Topic Coming soon to a theatre near you. There's a trailer on this web site. What a name for a movie. Narchttp://www.narcmovie.com/home.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The GCW on December 18, 2002 at 16:22:57 PT Roger Christie is doing good work in Hawaii.Hawaii's government, is poised to back off. They will have to limit their stupidity, so it does not directly effect citizens using cannabis. It seems persecutionists continue untill they are forced to stop.Your right to swing Your fist, ends where My nose begins.And You never know when that dam is going to suddenly crumble. The courts are being bombarded and can not withstand all the incoming. Prisons are starting to release prisoners, and should first release those who should be there to begin with. That includes those in prison for revocation of perole or probation, for failing a piss test,,, for cannabis.Cannabis prohibitionists, must fear cannabis activists, armed with the Truth.We are united. Stop caging humans for using a plant.It is Christmas for God's sake, look at what You are doing. Stop the senseless cagings.TRUTH LOVEThe Green Collar Worker [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on December 18, 2002 at 16:18:24 PT Thanks p4me I found a link to post.http://www.chrisdaviesmep.org.uk/news/2002/dec/meps_call_for_end_to_drugs_prohibition.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by The GCW on December 18, 2002 at 15:56:24 PT p4me, thanks... That is explosive good news. BULLS-EYE AFTER BULLS-EYE!!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 18, 2002 at 15:43:16 PT p4me Jonathan Adler was sentenced in September to serve 1 year in jail and 5 years probation I just read. If he serves 6 months with no problems he will be released but still be supervised. If my math is right he should be out in February or March. I wonder if anyone has a writing address for him? We could send him a few letters before Christmas and it might make him feel a little better. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by p4me on December 18, 2002 at 15:42:38 PT Good news in UK press release NEWS RELEASE DATE: 18 December 2002 MEPs CALL FOR END TO DRUGS PROHIBITION More than 100 MEPs have signed a declaration calling for an end to the prohibition of drugs. The show of support for a radical change in policy is thought to be one of the largest ever by elected representatives anywhere in the world. The MEPs, of all parties, are calling for the repeal of the existing UN conventions when these are come up for review in April next year, and for prohibition to be replaced by government regulation and licensing. They want new policy to emphasise the need for harm reduction measures, including the separation of soft and hard drugs through the decriminalisation of cannabis, and the medical supply of heroin to addicts. North West Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies, one of the authors of the declaration, said that prohibition had proved to be the cause rather than the solution to many of the world's drug-related problems. He said: "Prohibition of drugs has proved to have all the failings of US prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s, only many times worse. "Current policy has fuelled the explosion in criminality which is corrupting societies across the world. Lives of drug users are being lost unnecessarily while the drug barons are laughing all the way to the bank." Note to Editors Full text of Declaration, and list of signatures, from Marco Cappato MEP: (0033) 3881 75496, mcappato europarl.eu.int [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by p4me on December 18, 2002 at 15:28:54 PT A side note- Adler One of the contributors to Cnews was the Reverand Adler that was going to run for governor of Hawaii. We have not heard from in a while and I when I looked at election results for Hawaii he was not listed in the Governor's race. I guess his conviction interfered but I do not know if he is in jail or still on appeal. Does anyone know anything?1 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment