Path to legalization ADVERTISING Path to legalization Kudos to Roger Christie for staying on his dedicated path and true to a belief that cannabis needs to become legal. Those in the movement, and many other open-minded people, share similar convictions.
Path to legalization
Kudos to Roger Christie for staying on his dedicated path and true to a belief that cannabis needs to become legal. Those in the movement, and many other open-minded people, share similar convictions.
However, in the Oct. 12 Tribune-Herald article about Christie, he made one statement that did not set well with the medical cannabis community. As chair of the Big Island Chapter of Americans for Safe Access, I was somewhat taken aback by Christie’s comment that he was not in favor of medical marijuana laws. And although he seeks to legalize cannabis, reality is that it may be a while for that eventuality in Hawaii.
In the meantime, and far more pressing, is that patients suffering from neurological disorders, AIDS, cancer, chronic pain and other life-threatening conditions have access to medical grade cannabis now.
We are on the threshold of creating a long overdue dispensary system in Hawaii which will allow safe access currently unavailable patients to a large variety of efficacious cannabis strains, oils and tinctures that treat specific symptoms and diseases. The Legislature will consider recommendations from a medical cannabis task force soon and formulate laws early next year. Compassion and caring dictates that the sick and dying receive cannabis relief and dispensaries first.
Further, medical cannabis laws, legalization and decriminalization laws are not mutually exclusive. Whereas legalization would only allow 1 ounce possession as in Colorado and Washington, medical patients require more than that, setting them apart from those who seek to use it recreationally.
All those advocating for liberalization of the cannabis laws, including Christie, need to work toward all these goals to be successful. Divided we fail. When medical cannabis laws are passed establishing a regulated statewide dispensary system for safe access to medical cannabis, legalization will surely soon follow.
Andrea Tischler
Hilo
Election questions
Is it the state election officials’ practice to release election results until all the registered voters have voted?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the primary election results were released before all the Puna voters voted. This was not fair to the voters or the candidates who had a close race and were separated by only a few votes.
Will this happen again in the general election, when Puna residents who are facing a lava flow may not be able to get to the poles or will be busy trying to save their homes first?
Dennis Vierra
Hilo
