PRO-POT ACTIVIST ARRESTED IN LATEST MARIJUANA RAIDS

(Ed's note: Am uncertain whether Pubdate is 27 Aug 1998 or as above. pd)

County council candidate and pro-marijuana activist Jonathan Adler was
arrested Wednesday on felony drug charges after police found marijuana
plants and stalks and drug paraphernalia at Adler's home in Hawaiian
Paradise Park.

Hilo vice Lt. Chadwick Fukui said that the arrest was made in connection
with this week's ongoing "counter cannabis field operation," which police
describe as "maintenance" efforts to eliminate patches of the illicit plant
around the island.

"We did not even know that this was his house," Fukui said.

Officers spotted plants outside the home by helicopter during the operation
and obtained a search warrant for the 19th Avenue home and property.

Fukui said that once police were inside the home, they found identification
that pointed to Adler as being the resident.

At Adler's rented home police allegedly recovered 89 growing marijuana
plants ranging in height from seedlings to 4 1/2 feet tall, 15 stalks
believed to be from marijuana plants, smoking pipes and containers with
marijuana residue.

Adler, 46, later turned himself in to police. He was arrested for
commercial promotion of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia,
both felonies. He was released pending further investigation, which is a
routine process in drug investigations.

Adler, who has made several unsuccessful runs for political office, told
the Tribune-Herald that the marijuana was being grown for medicinal
purposes and he was looking forward to his day in court.

Adler's arrest was the third in connection with this week's marijuana raids.

On Monday police arrested two Hawaiian Paradise Park residents on whose
property police allegedly found 92 marijuana plants.

Police said Wednesday's eradication efforts resulted in the seizure of
8,371 marijuana plants ranging in size up to 10 feet from Hamakua and North
and South Hilo. That brought the total number of plants seized over the
past three days to 13,863.

Participating with police in the campaign were officers from the Honolulu
and Maui police departments, the Hawaii Army National Guard and agents from
the State Narcotics Enforcement Division and the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan