MEDICAL MARIJUANA ISSUE COMES OF AGE

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 don92t 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."