Booklet explains
medical marijuana

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By Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.com

The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, a nonprofit educational organization, has published a comprehensive booklet explaining Hawaii's medical marijuana law.

Since the Legislature passed the law allowing medical marijuana last year, the organization has received "countless inquiries about how the program works," said Drug Policy Forum President Donald Topping.

The 15-page booklet, "The Medical Use of Marijuana: A Guide to Hawaii's Law for Physicians, Patients and Caregivers," is a "concise publication explaining the details of this historic law," he said.

The booklet was developed by a committee of the Drug Policy Forum and reviewed for accuracy by the state Department of Public Safety, which administers the program, and by attorneys and physicians.

Keith Kamita, DPS narcotics enforcement administrator, said the department did not endorse or comment on the booklet: "It is not our place to do that. We looked at just the factual data to see if the laws quoted are right."

As of Sept. 30, Kamita said, the department had 373 patients registered to use medical marijuana, and 37 physicians were involved. Doctors can recommend marijuana for medical purposes but they can't prescribe it.

Kamita listed this breakdown:

>> Physicians: Nine on the Big Island, six on Kauai, five on Maui and 17 on Oahu.
>> Patients: 184 on the Big Island, 97 on Kauai, 26 on Maui and 66 on Oahu.

The Drug Policy Forum booklet includes sections explaining differences between state and federal laws on medical marijuana, what Hawaii's law permits, answers to frequently asked questions and a copy of the law.

The Drug Policy Forum is mailing the booklet to more than 2,400 registered Hawaii physicians and distributing it to clients of certain nonprofit health organizations.

Single or multiple copies may be requested free from the Drug Policy Forum. Call 263-7794 or visit www.dpfhi.org. The booklet is available online.

Funding for the project was provided partially by the Lindesmith Center Drug Policy Foundation of New York.

Topping said the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii hopes the booklet "will provide the information necessary to encourage all Hawaii physicians to utilize the medical marijuana law to help alleviate the suffering of their patients ... who qualify for medical marijuana under the law."