POLICE CHIEF: VOTE WON'T STOP POT BUSTS

Nothing In Ballot Measure Trumps Federal Law, Says Police
Chief

HILO -- Although Big Island voters approved an initiative this week
that makes marijuana enforcement a low police priority, Hawaii County
officials still expect to receive federal grant dollars that will be
used toward marijuana eradication.

Because the initiative passed, there's a new ordinance on the county
books that also stipulates the county can no longer accept grant money
for marijuana eradication. That proviso, however, will have no
immediate effect.

This fiscal year's operating budget went into effect in July, long
before voters approved the marijuana initiative, and it included grant
money for marijuana eradication.

advertisementThe budget earmarks $370,000 in federal grant dollars,
$159,000 in state grant money and $63,500 in matching funds from the
county for marijuana eradication.

Council Clerk Casey Jarman and Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna said
Thursday that, because the budget was already approved, the Police
Department will be able to accept the grant money when it's made available.

Mahuna said he's glad the marijuana eradication program will be able
to operate at full force -- meaning helicopters will continue to be
deployed to search for illegal marijuana crops -- for at least another
year.

He said that regardless of the initiative, marijuana is still illegal
under federal law. "We're compelled to enforce the law," Mahuna said,
adding that "absolutely nothing" will change regarding how police deal
with marijuana.

He said it would be no different than if voters approved an initiative
that made domestic violence incidents a low police priority. "I
couldn't do that," Mahuna said.

He said he believes many residents who voted in favor of the
initiative weren't fully informed on its concept.

Some terrorists, Mahuna said, profit from the sale of illegal drugs
like marijuana.

"If you're pro-drug, or pro-marijuana, you're automatically
pro-terrorist," he said.

Mahuna said he also believes those who receive medical marijuana
permits are abusing their rights to use the drug. "Out of 1,300-plus
medical marijuana certificates (on the Big Island), I may have seen
one that was in compliance," he said.

The city and county of Honolulu, which has a larger population than
Hawaii County, has a little more than 300 medical marijuana users,
Mahuna said.

If marijuana was "that great of a drug," Mahuna said one would expect
more people to have medical marijuana certificates on Oahu.

"Now there are people trying to push religious aspects of marijuana,"
he said. "I don't think any god wants anybody to be stoned."

While the grant money will be available in 2008-09, Jarman said it
would go against the ordinance created by the initiative if the county
attempted to budget money for marijuana eradication for next fiscal
year's operating budget.

Adam Lehmann, director of Project Peaceful Sky, the organization that
promoted the initiative, said Thursday that "for Mahuna to say nothing
is going to change is pretty bold."

Lehmann said the main purpose of the initiative is to make the
personal, private use of marijuana for adults 21 and older a low
police priority. While Lehmann understands the county will be able to
accept grant money for marijuana eradication this fiscal year, he
believes police shouldn't use it to go after adult marijuana users.

Corporation Counsel Lincoln Ashida said Thursday the grant money is
used in a variety of ways, including for anti-drug awareness programs
for schools, and believes the initiative doesn't prevent police from
using the funding toward marijuana eradication.

Lehmann said he expects the county to abide by the initiative during
preparation of next fiscal year's budget.

"People want this and it's time we work together to make sure this
works well," he said.

Regardless of the effect the initiative has on how county police deal
with marijuana, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration does not
plan on changing its game plan for the Big Island.

Tony Williams, assistant special agent in charge for the DEA in
Hawaii, said Thursday the DEA "will continue to enforce federal drug
laws." He stressed, however, the DEA is not interested in enforcing
marijuana laws on "the sick or dying."

As far as the Big Island is concerned, the DEA will only remain
interested in the cultivation, manufacture and distribution of
narcotics. In other words, "major targets," Williams said.

Lehmann said his biggest hope is that the new ordinance takes a bite
out of the island's high number of crystal methamphetamine junkies,
who got hooked on that drug because of the police clampdown on marijuana.