Bill To Decriminalize Marijuana Inches Forward In Hawaii

A tiny conference room on a fourth building of a Capitol Building in Honolulu smelled faintly of pot and patchouli Wednesday as supporters of a check to decriminalize pot took turns testifying before a Senate Health Committee.

Under Hawaii Senate Bill 596

“The box for enacting decriminalization legislation in Hawaii has strengthened with any flitting year,” pronounced Pamela Lichty, boss of a Drug Policy Action Group. “Professional organizations are increasingly in agreement that gripping pot use rapist does some-more mistreat than good.”

Lichty forked in her testimony to how changes to a law in a 19 other states (plus cities and counties) that have decriminalized pot have not influenced use among possibly youths or adults and how polls in Hawaii support it.

But law enforcement, Catholic groups and anti-drug advocates told a cabinet that pot is a dangerous, habit-forming drug that should not be legitimized in any way.

“It seems rather peculiar that a state and county governments in Hawaii are invariably restricting a accessibility and use of tobacco products and during a same time would cruise decriminalizing a proven mind-altering piece with a attendant ill effects on both a users and non-users of a substance,” Hawaii Police Chief Harry Kubojiri said.

The committee, chaired by Hawaii Sen. Josh Green, upheld a check after creation some amendments.

Article source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/decriminalize-marijuana-hawaii_n_6721204.html?utm_hp_ref=hawaii&ir=Hawaii