COUNCIL REJECTS RESOLUTION TO DECRIMINALIZE PAKALOLO

HILO -- A Hawaii County Council committee has voted against a
resolution seeking to decriminalize marijuana despite a councilman's
threat to resign if his measure failed.

Councilman Kelly Greenwell decided Tuesday to stay even though only
one other colleague voted for the resolution that failed to gain the
support of seven others.

"I'm going to take back what I said about resigning from this council.
And the reason," he said, addressing supporters, "is because of you.
I'm not going to be a Sarah Palin. The hell with them who don't want
to vote this way. I'm going to stick with you guys, and we're going to
get this done."

The resolution, which asks the state Legislature to decriminalize the
drug, now moves to the full council with a negative
recommendation.

The vote came after 48 people, evenly split 24-24, testified on the
resolution before the Committee on Public Works and Intergovernmental
Relations, composed of all nine council members.

Supporters of the measure spoke of the "prison-industrial complex" and
the failed war on drugs.

"Decriminalization would be better than arresting people for
marijuana," Barbara Lang said. "The war on marijuana continues to do
great harm and continues to do so."

"Marijuana is illegal, harmful, addictive, damaging, and it is a
destructive force in our community," County Prosecuting Attorney Jay
Kimura said in opposition of the measure.

Greenwell lashed out against those who opposed his measure, saying he
had heard "some of the most ridiculous logic."

Council members had urged Greenwell not to resign.

"What we must do is respect the decisions that people take," committee
Chairman Guy Enriques said. "I would ask you that you value all of our
opinions as well."

After hearing from his colleagues, Greenwell apologized for getting
worked up.

Greenwell has said he is not a marijuana user, but that his measure is
"not so much about marijuana. It's about the crime wave that's
sweeping in this direction right now."

Making marijuana illegal has only driven up the price of the
"harmless" drug on the black market, enticing organized crime to take
it over, Greenwell said.