is Hawai‘i's leading organization dedicated to safe, responsible, and effective drug policies.
As the premiere drug policy reform organization in Hawai‘i we've worked at the Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i to safeguard the rights of sick and dying patients and their physicians under the state medical marijuana law; conducted and commissioned research on policy issues and implementation; fought for reasonable approaches on drug testing, treatment, and prevention; and focused public attention on implications and alternatives to the failed War on Drugs.
Our website offers in-depth information, resources, and ways you can act and get involved on critical policy issues and developments. If you have questions or seek additional information, please contact us. And we hope you'll consider becoming a member of the Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i and join the growing movement for reasonable and responsible drug policy in our state.
BREAKING NEWS!
The House Judiciary Committee will be hearing a proposed new draft of SB 472 known as SB 472 HD 1, a measure that would decriminalize marijuana in Hawaii.
The bill will be heard on Thursday, March 14, 2:00 pm in room 325. What this current draft proposes is removing criminal penalties for possession of marijuana of 20 grams or less and instead, treat the matter with a fine of $100, like a parking ticket.
This updated proposal fixes the problems of the Senate version that passed the Senate by reducing the fine back to $100 (instead of $1000), including ages 18 and up (instead of 21 and over), but it reduces the amount of possession from an ounce (28 grams) to 20 grams.
As this is the last chance to decriminalize marijuana during this session, we need all the testimony we can muster to pass SB 472, HD 1, and continue its movement in the House and into Conference Committee.
THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE DEFERRED HB 699 RELATING TO MARIJUANA indefinitely, this means that for the 2013 Legislative Session, the bill is essentially dead, but can be taken up again in 2014.
No vote was taken either in committee or on the House floor, so there are no votes on the record of who would or would not support HB 699. HB 699 would authorize persons 21 years of age or older to consume or possess limited amounts of marijuana for personal
JANUARY 10, 2013 UPDATED REPORT RELEASED "BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS OF MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION AND LEGALIZATION FOR HAWAII"
Key Findings:
Recent years have seen a surge in marijuana arrests. Since 2004, possession arrests have increased almost 50%
Marijuana arrests are 50% more likely for males, 70% more likely for juveniles, twice as likely for those under 25, and 70% more likely for Native Hawaiians than their shares of the population would predict
Decriminalization could save the state and county governments $9 million annually
Legalization (regulation, control, and taxation could save an additional $3 m, and realize $11.3 m in annual tax revenue
Read the entire 2013 report here Read the 2013 Executive Summary here
We are Pleased to Join with our Sister Organization
The Drug Policy Action Group on a new project, the formation of the
MEDICAL CANNABIS COALITION OF HAWAII
WHAT IS IT? A free & confidential support network for medical cannabis patients and caregivers in Hawaii.
WHERE/WHEN ARE THE MEETINGS? Organizational meetings will be held on Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii Island. Plans are being made. If you are interested in attending a meeting, please send an email to: info@mcchi.org so that you can be notified of the plans. Go to their website: www.mcchi.org
WHY SHOULD I JOIN? The Coalition will strengthen the voices of the thousands in Hawaii who are impacted by the medical marijuana law and support the needs of this growing community. The current law is not serving the needs of cannabis patients.(See the recommendations of the Medical Cannabis Working Group here).
OVERDOSE AWARENESS IN THE U.S. Accidental Overdose Remain Leading Cause of Injury Death for Adults Ages 25-64
According to the Centers for Disease Control, fatal drug overdose now ranks as the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. for adults ages 25-64, surpassing motor-vehicle accidents. Recently, the Stop Overdose Stat Act, a bipartisan bill, was introduced in Congress to help prevent overdose fatalities by supporting community-based overdose prevention programs. Nationally, a number of states have recently passed ‘911 Good Samaritan’ laws, designed to encourage people to call 911 to report an overdose as quickly as possible.
Hawaii does not currently have '911 Good Samaritan' Laws, but a coalition of concerned organizations plans to introduce legislation in January 2013 to the Hawaii State Legislature. Organizations and individuals interested in joining the effort should email info@dpfhi.org
In Hawaii, overdose is now the second leading cause of accidental death, behind falls, and exceeding deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents. We must do more to prevent these deaths. There are still virtually no major foundations funding overdose prevention work in the United States.
We have solutions to prevent overdose deaths: naloxone, 911 Good Samaritan Laws, and other public health approaches to drug use.
Naloxone a drug used to reverse the effects of overdose, is in critical short supply and costs have increased significantly. U.S. health organizations must give more attention to these overdose issues. Please help us increase awareness by discussing the issue among your peers, family members, and policymakers.
February 11, 2010: The Medical Cannabis Working Group released their final report and recommendations. Download the pdf (4MB) of the final report here.
Download the Executive Summary of the Medical Cannabis Working Group's report (800K) here.
In order to receive patient input for their report, the Medical Cannabis Working Group surveyed patients using a questionnaire.
Download the PDF file of the results of the survey of 101 patients here.
June 16, 2009: Tweaking Medical Marijuana Legislation Aired in Hawaii Public Radio Nine years ago this week the Hawai‘i Legislature became the first in the nation to approve the use of medical marijuana. But now advocates are pushing for a study of what they say are serious flaws with the legislation. HPR's Ben Markus reports.
February 5, 2009, in Conference Room 309 House held a hearing in February 2009 to consider the ramifications of decriminalizing marijuana possession. Study finds Hawai‘i would save $5 Million.
The Medical Use of Marijuana: A Guide to Hawai'i's Law for Physicians, Patients and Caregivers, Second Edition (August 2008) Is a comprehensive 12 page document published by the DPFH and included the wording of the law and other background information. The document can downloaded here. If you cannot access this document from your computer, please contact us (by email or postal mail) and we will send you a copy in the mail.
In addition to the law you may also want to check: Chapter 23-202, Hawai'i Administrative Rules for Medical Use of Marijuana, adopted December 14, 2000.
These Administrative Rules are the procedures that the Narcotics Enforcement Division must follow in administering the medical use of marijuana program. They are more detailed than the law that established the program. For example one of the rules states: "523-202-6 (c) Qualifying patients and their primary caregivers may apply for renewal not earlier than sixty days prior to the expiration date of their certificate." To download the complete 18 pages PDF file, please click here
The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Decriminalization and Legalization for Hawai‘i Economic analysis of current public policies on marijuana reveals that Hawai‘i state and county governments could reap up to $33 million annually in new revenues and cost savings if tax and regulatory policies were to replace law enforcement to control marijuana distribution. Furthermore, research indicates that enforcement expenditures of up to $10 million each year statewide have failed to reduce the amount of marijuana available in Hawai‘i. The PDF file of the complete 22 page document "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Decriminalization and Legalization for Hawai‘i" by Lawrence Boyd can be downloaded here.
A survey of substance abuse prevention education programs in Hawai‘i schools.
Policy makers and educators continue to debate the presence and effects of substance abuse in Hawai‘i, specifically, government and community efforts to address this threat through substance abuse prevention education programs in Hawai‘i schools. This capstone project focuses and creates a snapshot inventory of substance abuse prevention education programs in Hawai‘i schools, particularly programs that are federally recognized, while attempting to discover the appropriateness of substance abuse prevention curricula. Surveying 257 K-12 public schools and forty-five private schools throughout the state, with assistance from the Safe and Drug Free Schools program of the Office of Curriculum and Instruction of the Department of Education, the capstone project team uses a questionnaire as the survey instrument. In addition, asking forty randomly selected schools to be contributors to an in-depth written interview, the project captures opportunities for future research and studies. The PDF file of the complete 42 page document "A survey of substance abuse prevention education programs in Hawai‘i schools." From 2004 by Ann Ishida-Ho, William Kunstmann, Carrie Shoda-Sutherland and Marly Wilson can be downloaded here.
