Hawaii Gov. Will Veto Any Medical Marijuana Legislation

Jim Finnel

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Bad News for Hawaii: Gove Dingle will not even sign allow anything on Medical marijuana to take place on her watch. We must patiently wait until 2010 when she is out of office.

This is a large setback for all of us out here. She just cannot keep lying to us.

Hawaii: Gov. Lingle's veto of medical marijuana task force bill shortchanges Hawaii patients

Flip-flopped. Reneged. Deceived. Lied. Conned. Bamboozled. Hoodwinked. However you want to characterize it, Gov. Linda Lingle has gone back on her word to the citizens of Hawaii.

Last week, Gov. Linda Lingle (R) vetoed <https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/docs/getstatus2.asp? billno=HB2675 HB 2675, which would have established a temporary task force comprised of state officials, physicians, and patients to examine critical issues affecting Hawaii's medical marijuana program. Although the Senate voted overwhelmingly (21-1) to override Gov. Lingle's veto, the House failed to follow suit, which means that questions regarding adequate supply, growing facilities, and the inter-island transport of medical marijuana will remain unanswered for at least another year.

Gov. Lingle's veto is directly at odds with a <Lingle's 2002 questionnaire supporting Hawaii's medical marijuana law
2002 campaign pledge to uphold Hawaii's medical marijuana law. In her <Gov. Lingle's 2008 Veto Statement official veto statement, Gov. Lingle claims that since the federal government doesn't recognize the medical value of marijuana, anything Hawaii does to improve the state's medical marijuana law is therefore improper. Gov. Lingle also tries to convince the public - and perhaps herself - that "requiring the task force to be administratively attached to the University of Hawaii is inappropriate."

Obviously, Gov. Lingle did not take the time to educate herself on current medical marijuana policy or she would have known that <Mississippi the federal government grows medical marijuana at the University of Mississippi, distributes it monthly to patients throughout the U. S., and <OPED: Psst... Government-Supplied Marijuana Program Turns 30 has done so for 30 years. Even the most cursory investigation into the issues surrounding state versus federal law as it relates to medical marijuana would have made clear the appropriateness of, and need for, HB 2675.

Not only does <Gov. Lingle's 2008 Veto Statement Gov. Lingle's reasoning clearly conflict with the promise she made to Hawaii voters less than four years ago, it is shoddy, misleading, full of half-truths, and contrary to stances she has taken on other issues.

Consider this: In 2004, when she was still campaigning for a second term, Gov. Lingle sided with the state of Hawaii in <2004 | On the Docket sa-inc-05232005 a case against Chevron, who was contesting the state legislature's recent passage of a law that sought to impose rent controls on oil companies. Gov. Lingle, alongside the state of Hawaii, argued to the U. S. Supreme Court that the rent control law should stand and not be overturned because allowing Hawaii to set its own policy would "preserve the states as laboratories with freedom to conduct novel social and economic experiments."

Cleary, Gov. Lingle is confused about what "states' rights" actually means and is less than consistent when it comes to deciding which "social experiments" are worthy of her blessing. Perhaps a few light <Matthews on Clinton's performance: "good enough here for women who wanted to root for her anyway" | Media Matters for America discussions among political pundits and scattered <Disappeared News: Could Lingle be McCain's VP? internet buzz about Gov. Lingle's viability as a vice presidential candidate have gone to her head and now has her courting the current administration, <Lingle ready to back McCain | starbulletin.com | News | /2008/06/06/ and Sen. John McCain
(R-AZ), by mimicking their blind denial of the medical efficacy of marijuana.

Please <https://ssl. capwiz. com/mpp/issues/alert/?alertid=11636301 e-mail Gov. Lingle and let her know that politicians who are in the business of breaking promises to their constituents are not held in high regard. You can also call Gov. Lingle's office at (808) 586-0034 between the hours of 8:00 a. m. and 5:00 p. m. to let her know how disappointed you are in her failure to honor Hawaii's medical marijuana law.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. If you have any questions about marijuana policy reform in Hawaii, please send an e-mail to <mailto: Nathan@mpp.org Nathan@mpp.org.
 
Back
Top Bottom