Up In Smoke: Idea For Medical Marijuana Dispensaries In Hawaii Burns Out

[Jim Finnel]

A proposal to create medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii has gone up in smoke.

The idea is dead because the House Judiciary Committee refused to consider the measure before a legislative deadline Thursday.

Committee Chairman Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu says he was worried that marijuana dispensaries would fuel illegal sales of the drug. He's also concerned about the state running up against federal drug laws.

Medical marijuana patients argue that Hawaii needs to reform its decade-old law allowing them to smoke and even grow the drug, but prohibiting them from buying it.

The bill passed the Senate and two House committees before stalling.

Medical marijuana dispensaries will likely be considered again during next year's legislative session.


NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: latimes.com
Author: AP
Copyright: 2010 The Los Angeles Times
Contact: Contact Us - latimes.com
Website: Up in smoke: idea for medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii burns out amid legal concerns - latimes.com

 

[RoguePoet]

utterly, totally disappointed

the legislature here took the easy way out...wimps. The three bills related to marijuana passed the Senate with huge margins (24-1, 22-3 and 21-4 I think)...yet, they could hardly get hearings schedule in the house? WTF?

 

[KonaGoldTom]

It is sad that so much time but our lawmakers, their staff and as importantly, citizens that invested their time and costs to be proactive in the law making process.. This is sad that our governments wasted so much time to have "the peoples" feelings and wants in the law revisions updating them to a reasonable allowance for those of us that rely on MMJ as a much better option to prescription and highly addictive drugs to offset our medical woe's.
We were offering a $30/OZ tax on the pot sold in the compassion centers at a time that the economy can government budgets need a boost. Interesting how there was a revision in the text of one of the bills that were introduced revised the proposed distribution of the $30.Oz tax split between the County the Pot was sold and the State of Hawai'i General funds.. The law makers decided it was profitable enough that the revised text eliminated any of the tax money distribution to the county and the entire $30/Oz would entirely go to the State General Fund. The counties would benefit only from the Proposed $5000 annual registration fees for compassion centers. The state obviously realized the income potential and revised the test accordingly, eliminating any tax money to the counties... Sadly, the bills died in this session. With the positive results of the current session results up to the point of being shot down, we have a very good chance to get past this political hurdle with the new administration.. Aloha...