Senate Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations (JGO) - chair: Taniguchi, vice chair: Takamine

Thursday, February 25, 2010, 11:00 A.M. Conference Room 016

Testifier: Suzanne Meisenzahl, LWV of Hawaii, Chair, Women's Health and Safety Committee

Click here to view SB2450

Thank you for opportunity to testify in support of SB 2450. Since the League of Women Voters of Hawaii adopted the Hawaii Drug Policy Study of August 2008, we have worked very hard to contribute to the much-needed societal debate around drug-related issues, policies and laws in Hawaii. Decriminalizing possession of one ounce or less of marijuana will have a positive economic impact on our state. It will save Hawaii $5 million dollars per year and it can be taxed and regulated. Because so much of the cost of criminalizing marijuana is in law enforcement our law enforcement dollars could be spent in other, more needed areas or, even better, dollars could be redirected to public health approaches that are far more cost effective. The complete text of the Hawaii Drug Policy Study can be found via direct link from our website homepage at www.lwv-hawaii.com.