Weekend Drug News: Outer Island Edition
August 18th, 2008 by Rich FigelA Kauai “Addicted” reader sent me a heads-up on a “Got Windmills” blog post about a drug sweep on the Garden Isle. Here’s an excerpt:
SNIFFIN’ THE WRONG PACKAGE: It sounds like KPD has nothing better to do than bust low level drug offenders, according to an article in today’s local paper.
Apparently 24 “targeted street level users and dealers as well as mid-level dealers” were arrested over the last 2 ½ days, for various “drug” offenses.
… But the lack of a mention of what specific “drugs” were involved makes us wonder how many were simple marijuana users and, if so, what the heck we’re doing using our already short staffed and thinly-funded police department for busting people for using an innocuous safe and effective medication.
The blog goes on to contrast that lock ‘em up strategy with a more progressive approach being floated on the Big Island. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports:
Voters will decide in November whether or not to approve a law that will make enforcement of marijuana laws in certain instances a lower priority than all other laws. The measure would apply only to adults age 21 and older possessing or growing up to 24 plants, or possessing up to 24 ounces of dried marijuana.
I can’t comment on the Kauai arrests since I don’t know the details. But they could arrest every single drug dealer on the island, and within two months, there will be new dealers who will take their place. This very scenario has actually played out in urban cities on the Mainland, and we see it locally in “Weed and Seed” areas where the weeds come back once the police’s attention shifts elsewhere.
What’s really needed in Kauai is more treatment programs for addicts. There is currently NO residential treatment facility on the entire island. That’s right — none whatsoever. Hina Mauka is trying to establish a Therapeutic Living Program to house a small number of in-patient addicts on Kauai, but has already met with resistance on Oahu when they tried to start a TLP in Waianae recently. People mistakenly confuse TLPs with “clean and sober houses” which may not have 24/7 supervision as TLPs do. More on the NIMBY mindset in a future blog post.
As for the Big Island measure, I think it’s largely symbolic. But it’s a step in the right direction. Pot should be legalized and regulated the same way alcohol and tobacco are. Studies show a majority of Americans have tried grass, and the percentage who become addicted to pot is relatively small. Compared to other “legal” drugs, marijuana is far less dangerous and has fewer side effects.
BTW, I think the Advertiser article in Sunday’s Island Life feature section about prescription meds and kids was pretty good. While it’s true we’re not seeing a huge surge of kids getting hooked on meds, I’d like to remind people that when I first heard about crystal meth in 1988, no one thought that was a big problem at the time either.
But after talking to a couple of early “ice” addicts while I was in rehab 20 years ago, I knew meth was gonna blow up big time. I have that same gut feeling about prescription meds. Kids today are growing up with the false illusion that pills are “safe” since adults are popping more and more for every problem we can imagine. I think that’s something we really need to keep our eye on too… older people becoming addicted to meds and pain-killers.
Keep those news tips and questions coming! And as always, you can post any kine comments related to addictions and recovery, not just today’s topic.
Tags: addictions, Big Island pot vote, Kauai drug busts, prescription meds, treatment
August 18th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Both the New Yorker and LA Times published long articles in the past week about medical marijuana — and let’s be honest, it ain’t just sick folks who are getting “prescriptions.” But what are the medicinal benefits?
Check out the LA Times article, which includes the pros and cons. Here’s an excerpt:
Now who might want to block production of a natural drug that could be grown and sold cheaply? Nah, Big Pharm would never do that!
August 18th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Thanks Rich. I hope no one got the impression from the excerpt from my piece that I’m for anything but legalization of marijuana.. But I support “lowest possible priority” laws on every islands and support extending it to so-called “pot dealers” too…
But you’re right Rick. We don’t even have a treatment center on Kaua`i and with all this money we’re spending on “drug” interdiction and incarceration- especially for cannabis- it’s no wonder. The limited resources are being spent on the wrong solution.
As soon as we really make a commitment to on-demand treatment and aftercare for our families and neighbors we will not need most of the that money.
The only way your “bust the 20 ice dealers” idea woks is if all their “customers” have on demand treatment when you bust them – not six months later when the addicts create their own supply but when they’re motivated to seek treatment.. And we need to keep helping them after treatment end if we really want the cycle to end.
Until pakalolo legalization comes Rich, I hope you’ll support this “lowest priority” legislation on all the islands.
Andy Parx,
…got windmills?
August 18th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Hey, Andy -
I’m with you on “lowest priority” legislation as a first step. Cities around the country have been passing similar ordinances and resolutions, as you pointed out in your blog. When I read comments posted on national news sites (such as Time, Newsweek, New York Times, LA Times, U.S. News & World Report) related to the pot question, the vast majority are in favor of decriminalizing marijuana.
What I’d like to know from local law enforcement is how many drug dealers are gang members from the Mainland, who are moving in because prohibition has created a thriving black market for criminals to cash in on?
Think about this, folks: when was the last time you saw shootings or gang wars over alcohol or moonshine? Yep, you’d have to go back to Prohibition. But people STILL don’t get it.