Nearly 74 percent of the state’s political candidates surveyed by the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Ninety-eight of 133 candidates on Saturday’s primary ballot who responded to a recent online survey said they support adult use of the federally illegal drug. Most of the supporters were from Hawaii island and Maui.
“The level of response and broad support among candidates across the Aloha State greatly exceeded our expectations,” Nikos Leverenz, the nonprofit advocacy group’s board president, said in a news release. “Hawaii is ready for bold, progressive political leadership.”
In the U.S. House of Representatives district 2 race, incumbent Tulsi Gabbard — a co-sponsor of the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act — and Republican Brian Evans said they support a policy change, while three of the four Democratic front-runners in the district 1 race — Doug Chin, Kaniela Ing and Donna Mercado Kim — also agreed with legalization, according to the survey.
In the state Senate, 14 candidates, including Democratic incumbents Roz Baker, Brickwood Galuteria and Maile Shimabukuro, were in agreement with recreational use, while 29 candidates for the state House, including Big Island Democrats Joy San Buenaventura, Richard Creagan and Nicole Lowen were also in support, as was Oahu Republican Cynthia Thielen.
Nine states, including Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, have legalized recreational pot use.
However, state and federal laws are in conflict since pakalolo is listed by the federal government among the most dangerous drugs, along with heroin, with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
State law classifies the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana as a misdemeanor. Over the past decade, 7,863 adults were arrested for possession, the group said.
The state legalized medical cannabis in 2000, but patients had no legal way to obtain the drug until the opening of retail dispensaries a year ago. The Drug Policy Forum has strongly lobbied for recreational use since the law was passed.
Drug Policy Forum of Hawai’i by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
Correction: U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is running for re-election for Hawaii’s district 2 congressional seat, while Doug Chin, Kaniela Ing and Donna Mercado Kim are among the candidates running for the district 1 seat. A previous version of this story, and in Tuesday’s print edition, transposed the districts.
