PROTECTING FAMILY FARMS A GOAL OF MARIJUANA BILL

Mark Santos' Feb. 24 letter addressed a very important aspect of
HB1191, a medical marijuana bill currently being considered by the
Legislature. His concern is that Mainland corporations will invade our
islands, and he suggests that state law should protect the local
farmers. As the author of this bill, I agree.

This bill was created to address several important issues we face and
one is safe access to medicine. Another issue is the loss of Hawaii
family farms while we import all our foods. A quick read of the bill
will show that the proposed medical marijuana farms will require
cultivation of additional organic crops. See www.MCCFDIA.com.

The goal is to give these opportunities to existing family farms and,
just as important, to aim for a higher level of sustainability for our
fragile islands. While the rules for facilitator licensing have yet to
be drawn, we hope that they will reflect the original intent of giving
Hawaii family farmers an opportunity to maintain their livelihoods and
perpetuate their traditions.

We share Mr. Santos' concern about big corporations taking control
over all the patents and trademarks. Names like "Maui Wowie" arouse
passion all over the world. Unfortunately, patents are often granted
to the first person to complete the paperwork, not necessarily the
first to discover or create anything. On the up side, Maui's variety
of climates will create variations of these strains that can be
trademarked and marketed for specific applications. Perhaps the best
answer for Hawaii farmers is to be ready when it comes time to act.

Brian Murphy Maui County Citizens For Democracy In Action

Paia