cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Issue Comes of Age





Medical Marijuana Issue Comes of Age
Posted by FoM on April 20, 2000 at 08:06:35 PT
By Lynda Arakawa, Advertiser Capitol Bureau
Source: Honolulu Advertiser
Medical marijuana’s time may have come this year at the Legislature, but it’s a puzzle as to why.Lawmakers generally are reluctant to cast a vote that might appear to be “for” marijuana or that might make them look soft on drugs or crime. 
But they appear to be on the verge of approving what other states have done through voter initiative, suggesting they are not afraid of a voter backlash.Some lawmakers say the Legislature is tackling the issue now after ignoring it for years because more lawmakers have studied it further and because more have known someone with a debilitating illness who didn’t find relief with conventional medicine.“It appears that this issue is ripe at this time,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Co-Chairman Avery Chumbley (D-East Maui, North Kauai), adding that a recent poll by the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii found that 77 percent of people surveyed support the idea.Seven other states have adopted laws allowing medical marijuana use. Hawaii law does not allow for the issue to be settled by voter initiative as in other states, but Chumbley said a nonbinding referendum is unnecessary.Senate Judiciary Co-Chairman Matt Matsunaga (D-Waialae, Palolo) said he used to oppose the idea, but changed his mind after learning more about the issue. Neither the House nor Senate Judiciary committees held a hearing on medical marijuana legislation last year, but this year both have endorsed it.Although the Hawaii Medical Association and the law enforcement community oppose the idea, there does not seem to be a groundswell against it that would make it politically unwise to tackle in an election year.But lawmakers are divided on the issue.Earlier drafts of medical marijuana legislation have passed this session by slim margins — 13-12 in the Senate, and 30-20 in the House. The House and Senate still need to agree on a final version of the bill. Gov. Ben Cayetano has endorsed the proposal.“This is not such a large political issue that it’s going to sway elections, but for me individually as a legislator and as a father of kids who’ve had to deal with this problem as adolescents, I know that we have a major battle taking place for the hearts and minds of the next generations,” said Rep. David Stegmaier (D-Kalama Valley, Portlock). He said legalizing marijuana for medical purposes will open the gates for more illegal drugs.Sen. Sam Slom (R-Waialae Iki, Hawaii Kai), who supports medical marijuana, agreed that the issue probably won’t surface during this year’s election campaigns. He said people have threatened him on issues such as fireworks and fluoridation, but that when it comes to medical marijuana, “I don’t see that. I don’t see that feeling in the community.”“I think there’s been too many people that not only have had experiences here, but also may have gone to other places and read about it and thought about it.” Published: April 20, 2000© Copyright 2000 The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.Related Articles:Hawaii Congresswoman Supports Medical Marijuana Researchhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread1880.shtml Chasing Smoke - Letters To The Editor & Series:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5334.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Articles & Archives:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtmlhttp://google.com/search?num=10&q=cannabisnews+medical+site:cannabisnews.com
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