Cannabis legislation

With regard to Mr. LeGendre’s letter, (Tribune-Herald, Jan. 24) I respectfully clarify that the adult decriminalization bill introduced by state Sen. Kalani English before the Legislature will not legalize cannabis. Decriminalization will make possession of 1 ounce or less a civil proceeding like a traffic violation rather than a criminal one. The $100 fines will be directed to prevention programs that help at-risk families and provide drug counseling.

Decriminalization will free up space in our crowded prisons, unclog the courts, and allow police more time and resources to fight serious and violent crimes as it has in 18 states which have cities and county jurisdictions that have passed decriminalization laws.

It was disappointing but predictable that the County Council missed an opportunity to urge the state Legislature to pass a decriminalization bill. With the police and prosecuting attorney strongly opposed to decriminalization, it would be politically risky during an election year to vote otherwise, or so they think. It doesn’t seem to matter that the citizens voted for lowest law-enforcement priority.

Why do the police and the prosecuting attorney fight so hard to maintain the status quo? They are opposed to decriminalization because they are addicted. Not to pot, but to the federal and state grant money for cannabis eradication, a bloated budget, asset forfeiture and the many government jobs (police, prosecutors, judges, prison personnel, probation officers, etc.) that feed off the nonviolent victims of the cannabis war. The annual cost to Hawaii taxpayers is an estimated $6.2 million. Added to these costs are the defense attorneys, cost of court-mandated urine analysis, counseling costs and lost wages, and it burgeons into a huge business.

Sen. English said, “We’re in really tight economic times … so I thought it was timely to put this forward, because we don’t have the money.” Indeed.

Andrea Tischler

Hilo