POT ERADICATION OPPONENTS EAGER FOR PROGRAM REVIEW

Hawaii County's delay in undertaking a critical review of its
marijuana eradication program has left those who have long demanded
the investigation questioning if it ever will be finished.

Legislative Auditor Connie Kiriu, whom the County Council directed in
December to investigate the eradication program, said she started the
assignment about two weeks ago.

"We're still in the preliminary stages," Kiriu said Thursday. "But we
have made some contacts with the Poplice Department, and we're getting
documents ready to review. We're in good shape."

However, some marijuana advocates, who have alleged the program is
being grossly mismanaged, disagreed with Kiriu's assessment.

Jonathan Adler of Puna called the county study a "farce," adding he is
not surprised in the least that little work has been done.

"It will never be completed," Adler said. "They know exactly what's
required and they have danced around it again."

Adler said he wants to file a lawsuit against the county over its
failure to conduct a program review mandated by the County Charter,
but cannot afford the legal costs.

Dennis Shields of Captain Cook, another marijuana advocate who called
for the study, complained that it does not examine environmental
damage he said occurs from aerial spraying done to kill illegal pot
plants.

"I think it's lip service," Shields said Thursday, while complaining
two eradication helicopters flew low over his home one day after he
testified before the Legislature in support of legalizing the use of
marijuana for medical purposes.

Kiriu said she was delayed in beginning the study because her staff
first had to finish auditing the county's glass recycling program,
complete a time-consuming review of the Zoning Code and also become
adjusted to new positions.

Kiriu, who estimated at least 400 hours of staff time will be needed
to finish studying the county's marijuana eradication program, said
she does not know when the project will be completed.

The council did not set a deadline to finish the investigation when it
adopted a resolution directing Kiriu and her staff to conduct the
study and report their findings.

The "special study" is to examine six points, including whether the
Police Department met the objectives of the federal eradication grants
that, along with county funds, totaled $339,000 for the period from
January 1997 through June 1998.

How the money was spent, if police have internal controls for
confiscating marijuana and also how the department handles public
complaints of aerial eradication missions also are to be part of the
study.

Those against the eradication missions have claimed the use of
helicopters creates privacy invasions, harms livestock and results in
a safety hazard should a malfunction occur with one of the low-flying
helicopters.

Law enforcement officials say the eradication program is essential to
curbing the cultivation of illegal marijuana, while also keeping
public lands safe for hunters and hikers.

Between 1995 and 1997, Big Island police recorded declines in the
number of plants destroyed, arrests made and amount of marijuana
seized as a result of the eradication efforts, police Lt. Chad Fukui
said.