LEGISLATION NEEDED TO CORRECT DEFICIENCY IN THE HAWAII MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW

At age 34, I suffered a stroke. The doctors at the Department of
Veterans Affairs hospital prescribed many pharmaceutical drugs. None
of them provided any relief, although several did succeed in burning a
hole in my stomach.

One of my doctors at the V.A. informed me that cannabis had a
successful history in treating complex migraine seizures. Although
most people do not have safe access to this medicine, I was lucky. The
Veterans Affairs hospital had several patients who were advised -
unofficially - to use cannabis, and they even had their own smoking
section. I tried it and found immediate relief. Within a few days I
had stopped taking all the pharmaceuticals, and I felt much better.

Then came the realization that most patients cannot acquire this
medicine. Hoping to help others find the relief that I experienced, I
started working with the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana
Laws. Over 13 years of working with NORML gave me Ph.D equivalents in
street pharmacology, contraband legislation, and the politics of
pharmaceuticals. When a Virginia judge told me that I should change
the laws that I don't like, my direction was set.

After spearheading campaigns in both California and Washington, D.C.,
I came to Maui. It became obvious that Hawaii's climate, geographic
isolation, and aloha spirit could create a wonderful model for a
functional medical marijuana program. I founded Patients Without Time
initially to help patients navigate the Blue Card process. PWT quickly
expanded into an educational and advocacy group, giving birth to Maui
County Citizens For Democracy In Action. Two major projects have been
the focus of our work - the Medical Marijuana Database and the Maui
Family Farm Plan.

We often use the words "cannabis" and "marijuana" in the singular,
when, in fact, they represent countless varieties of a very versatile
plant. While some have minimal medicinal value, many others exhibit
curative properties for specific ailments. Researchers at PWT track
patient and grower testimonials to cross reference ailments with
medicinal genetics. Maui County Citizens for Democracy in Action
crafted legislation to create a research task force, but Gov. Linda
Lingle vetoed the bill.

The Maui Family Farm Program was conceived to give all licensed
medical marijuana patients reliable and safe access to their medicine.

While the State of Hawaii provides a licensing process for medical
marijuana, the state does not address how the patients can acquire
their medicine. Fewer than 5 percent of the licensed patients are able
to sustain a medical garden. Lacking any safe alternatives, 95 percent
of the patients confront black-market risks that often prove dangerous.

Under this ambitious program, a secured grow area would serve several
patients who would otherwise be unable to maintain a cannabis crop.
The facility would provide expert cultivation support and extensive
security services. Hoping to take marijuana cultivation out of the
black market, this program would re-establish the Maui family farm as
a viable economic base.

MCCFDIA sent rafts of legislation through state channels, hoping to
clarify the incomplete Hawaii state laws concerning medical marijuana.
The law still does not address the issue of safe access for these
licensed patients.

In opposing our efforts at legislative reform, Maui Police Chief
Thomas Philips repeatedly expressed his opposition to the Hawaii State
medical marijuana laws. He has written that he does not believe in
supporting medical marijuana in its entirety.

Mayor Charmaine Tavares has suggested that picking and choosing which
laws you do or do not enforce leads to anarchy. I agree.

- - Brian Murphy is the founder of Patients Without Time, a medical
marijuana advocacy group. He lives in Paia.