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Today's Top News
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) Kurt A. Gardinier, MPP director of communications 202-905-0738 or kgardinier@mpp.org |
Hawaii Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Three Bills to Improve Marijuana Laws
Measures would expand state’s medical marijuana law and reduce the penalty for possession of one ounce to a civil fine
HONOLULU, Hawaii - March 3 - Yesterday, the Hawaii Senate passed by overwhelming, veto-proof margins three measures that will greatly improve marijuana laws in the state:
· SB 2213 passed 20-4, with one excused. This bill would allow counties to license medical marijuana dispensaries.
· SB 2141 passed 24-1. This bill would increase the ratio of plants, ounces and caregivers allowed for each medical marijuana patient.
· SB 2450 passed 22-3. This bill would remove criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine of up to $300 for a first offense and $500 for a subsequent offense.
The bills now go to the state House.
"These votes show that Hawaii's Senate supports sensible marijuana policies that will serve the best interests of state citizens," said Eric M. McDaniel, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project. "Hawaii's most vulnerable citizens deserve safe and reliable access to their medicine, and no Hawaiian deserves to go to jail simply for using a substance that is safer than alcohol. If House members agree, I would strongly encourage them to pass these measures as well."
The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, headed by Pamela Lichty and Jeanne Ohta, and the Peaceful Sky Alliance, headed by Matt Rifkin, played crucial roles in getting these measures through the Senate.
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Show Allthere's an interesting legal theory being bandied about by both the right and left. it's the theory of bodily integrity, which argues in favor of someone's right to arm himself in a national park or to use marijuana to alleviate pain and nausea while you are terminally ill. i intuited the theory for myself several years ago when i was deep into a forrested area of a national park and wondered why i would have to go to jail for five years had i been caught with a pistol, which i would have used if attacked by bear or boar. it's an interesting theory that appeals to the libertarian streaks in both the right and left. google it up for some interesting reading.