Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Killed in the House

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Photo courtesy of Reason

REPORT FROM National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Hawaii Chapter –  “Senate Bill 472 (SB472 SD1 HD1) was a means for adults in Hawaii to no longer be treated like a criminal when apprehended for smoking small amounts of pot.  It was hoped the House would consider lessening the 20-gram threshold to 7-grams or less to keep the bill alive and reach a compromise for those that thought 20-grams was too much.”

SB472 SD1 HD1 was recommitted back to the Hawaii State House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee today by a unanimous vote and such procedure is often used as a mechanism to kill a bill.

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“There are technical and procedural maneuvers still in play that legislators can initiate to ‘light-up’ the bill again for passage before sine die. However, they all caved in today and the aftermath of their decision is that people caught with one joint on them, can still face a $1,000 fine and be imprisoned. Not only can they lose their jobs and student loans in the process, but have their lives completely destroyed.”

NORML HI Chapter has used former President Jimmy Carter’s statement to congress in 1977 about the use of marijuana in their testimony which reiterates, “Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself.”  And on December 12, 2012, in a widely publicized   forum on both Washington and Colorado passing legalization laws for marijuana, he said this, “I’m in favor of it. I think it’s OK.”

Julius Lannutti, executive director for NORML HI Chapter made this statement, “While other states are decriminalizing, even legalizing the use of moderate amounts of marijuana, Hawaii continues to impose one of the highest fines in the nation and is still jailing users with small amounts of marijuana. Senate Bill 472 stands to correct Hawaii’s archaic and misguided criminal assault on a plant. We will hold rallies, educate and counter the negative, often deceptive propaganda being used by those to squash the passage of this bill that their continued prohibition mentality on this plant is unfounded.”

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8 COMMENTS

  1. in the meantime politicians are being heavily lobbied(bribed) by the major pharmiceauticals to keep many prescription and over the counyer drugs available for everyone.with politicians,doctors and FDA(Food and Drug Administration) knowing full well of the serious and at times toxic side effects of consuming these "legal" drugs.over ahundred thousand people get seriously ill or die from these medications every year.and does not include "legal" psychiatric/psycothropic drugs prescribed by mental health doctors.

  2. If the Marijuana Decriminalization Bill had Obama's name attached to it somehow, it would have passed by wide margins, just like Obama did the last two Presidential Elections. Obama used to get his weed from a drug dealer who cruised at Puck's Alley, then he'd go smoke it with his Punahou friends on Tantalus. Next year, the crafters of the Marijuana Decriminalization Bill will read my advice and pass it next year. Remember (Democrats who are in love with Obama), craft the Bill to honor President Barack Hussein Obama, so all the low information wielding legislators in the House will pass it with overwhelming margins. Title it "Obama Ohana scripts good kine times Bill".

  3. The best part of the pharma commercials is when they list the side effects. Usually one is death, and others are worse than death.

  4. The sad part about it is by keeping it illegal they are making it more accessible to the kids, you think a dealer cares about selling to a kid, they are going to make a profit. When it's harder for a kid to get alcohol then it is drugs shouldn't that tell you something?
    They should legalize pot, and sell it according to what people are willing to pay for it, which appears to be a bundle. And decriminalize the other drugs, and treat the drug addict for what they are, people with a highly communicable disease, and give them their drug. If it kills them that's too bad, it's going to anyway, at least they won't be bringing more people into their hell to share it with them.

  5. […] in prosecution costs.Sensing a stalemate, proponents of decriminalization even floated the idea of lowering the allowable amount of marijuana carried from 20 grams down to a mere 7 grams, but apparently even that was not enough to sway […]

  6. However, they all caved in today and the aftermath of their decision is that people caught with one joint on them, can still face a $1,000 fine and be imprisoned. Not only can they lose their jobs and student loans in the process, but have their lives completely destroyed.

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