DOCTORS MAY NOW DISCUSS MARIJUANA OPENLY

HILO -- In 1980, the doctor for Kona marijuana advocate Dennis Shields'
cancer-stricken, 7-year-old stepson couldn't control the boy's nausea
with standard medication.

"Dennis, can you get some grass?" the doctor asked.

Shields said he stuffed towels under the door to the boy's room at
Kapiolani Children's Center to hide the smoke, which stopped the boy's
nausea immediately.

The question asked by the doctor in semi-secrecy 23 years ago can now
be discussed openly, according to a decision yesterday by the U.S.
Supreme Court.

The court refused to review a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
decision that upheld a California law allowing doctors to recommend
medical marijuana, thereby letting the appellate court ruling stand.

The war on medical marijuana is dead, Shields said.

Nine states, including Hawaii, now allow doctors to recommend medical
marijuana. With yesterday's Supreme Court decision, many more states
are likely to follow, Shields predicted.

About half of Hawaii's 1,039 registered medical marijuana patients are
on the Big Island.

In Kona, medical marijuana patient Kealahoa Wells said it would be
"ludicrous" to prevent doctors from recommending marijuana.

Wells is in the midst of a two-year treatment for leukemia. She gets
hospital chemotherapy once a month and takes medication every day.
Every Monday she takes 18 pills. Without marijuana, taking all those
pills would be nauseating, she said. And marijuana allows her to sleep
at night.

In July of last year, police seized medical marijuana from Wells and
fellow patients John and Rhonda Robison. Police later gave some of it
back because the amounts were within limits provided by law.

Wells and the Robisons filed suit against two police officers. Wells
is considering a settlement. The Robisons expect to go to trial in a
few months.

Such problems between medical users and police prompted extra caution
during marijuana eradication missions.

"Because of the uproar, we are extra careful when we do checks of the
(medical marijuana) registry," said Capt. Samuel Thomas.

Although doctors can now talk about marijuana openly, eradication is
still "tyranny," Shields said. It makes patients who could benefit
from marijuana fearful, he said.