PROVIDE SAFE, RELIABLE ACCESS TO MEDICAL POT

As a Hawai'i-born expert on local regulation of medical marijuana
(licensed to practice law in California and Hawai'i), I learned some
things from the Nov. 24 article, "Medical pot users up 87%."

Apparently Keith Kamita, head of the state's Narcotics Enforcement
Division, thinks he knows better than doctors what drugs people should
use. He also thinks he knows better what "debilitating pain" is. And
he can apparently read the Legislature's mind and knows what their
intent is. This is the problem with Hawai'i's medical marijuana law,
it puts a health program under the control of law enforcement. Is it
any wonder it doesn't work and is woefully underutilized?

The Legislature needs to re-visit the law, move it out of the control
of law enforcement to the health department, and provide for sensible,
safe access to quality-assured medical marijuana regulated by the
counties. Anything less is just a shibai, a put-on - the appearance of
a medical marijuana program but not the reality.

James Anthony Jr.

Oakland, Calif.