A K LEO T H E
MONDAY, JAN. 14 to TUESDAY, JAN. 15, 2013 VOLUME 108 ISSUE 43
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57 percent of Hawai‘i voters would legalize pot, survey says A LEX BIT TER Associate News Editor
? t o p t u o b a t Wha
Eight years ago, a poll asking Hawai‘i voters about their support for legalizing marijuana found that a majority opposed making marijuana legal in the state beyond the currently allowed medical uses. A recent survey commissioned by a drug policy nonprofit suggests that public opinion has shifted in the other direction. This study, conducted by Honolulu polling firm QMark Research and commissioned by the Drug Policy Action Group, found that 57 percent of Hawai‘i voters supported legalizing marijuana for personal use and sale, as long as it is regulated and taxed by the state. That figure represents a 20-point jump from the 37 percent who said that they supported marijuana legalization in 2005. The survey also found that 69 percent of voters supported decriminalizing marijuana possession and use, a change that would make both punishable by a fine – similar to a parking ticket. Even more popular among respondents was the option of setting up regulated dispensaries that would allow current medical cannabis users access to the drug without having to grow it themselves.
PUBLIC SUPPORT PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NIK SEU / KA LEO O HAWAI‘I
At a joint press conference last Thursday, DPAG and the Hawai‘i Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union released the poll’s fi ndings. It also gave an updated version of a 2005 report that focused on possible new state revenue from the taxing of legalized marijuana as well as potential savings for law enforcement. Although the jump in support for a change in Hawai‘i’s marijuana laws may seem sudden, DPAG President Pamela Lichty said the numbers typify growing nationwide support for legalization of the drug. See Pot incentives, Page 2
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