POT DISPENSARIES NOT WORKING IN COLORADO

The national controversy about whether marijuana is a drug or medicine
is being played out in Senate Bill 1458, which proposes a five-year
pilot program to establish a marijuana dispensary based on the
Colorado model.

While the bill ensures no prosecution to the licensed marijuana
vendor, the operation is in direct conflict with federal law and could
be shut down.

Also, there is potential for abuse, given this bill allows for not
only Hawaii residents but tourists to use the dispensary. Colorado law
enforcement reports the lack of controls, increased crime and violence
and the lowered quality of life in neighborhoods with dispensaries are
hardly worth the projected tax revenues. Most important, this bill
sends the wrong messsage to our youth. It would erode prevention
efforts by decreasing perception of harm and increasing access.

Alan Shinn

Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii