MARIJUANA FELONY WILL SEND GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN UP IN SMOKE

HILO -- Natural Law gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Adler has reached a
plea agreement that could keep him from serving time in jail for two sets of
marijuana charges.

But it will also mean he will not be eligible to run for governor when he is
sentenced Sept. 4, said his attorney, Michael Green.

Chief Elections Officer Dwayne Yoshina has said posters will be put up at
polling places saying Adler is not an eligible candidate once he is
sentenced for a felony offense.

Adler was to be sentenced yesterday on the first set of charges related to
89 small marijuana plants, weighing a total of 1 ounce, which he possessed
in 1998. Sentencing was postponed while Green and Deputy Prosecutor Kevin
Hashizaki worked on the plea agreement.

Trial was also pending on charges against Adler for allegedly possessing 55
plants in 1999.

Under the agreement, Adler would plead guilty to sale of marijuana,
commercial promotion of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia in 1999.

The sentences for the 1998 and 1999 offenses would be combined. He would
receive five years' probation, and the prosecutor could argue for one year
in jail.

The agreement leaves up to the discretion of Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura
whether Adler could use marijuana as medicine, for which he is registered
under state law, while on probation.

It also leaves to Nakamura's discretion whether Adler would be banned from
associating with people who use marijuana, effectively cutting him off from
his religion, the Religion of Jesus Church.

If he is banned from medical marijuana and religious affiliation, "I'll deal
with that when it happens," Adler said.