Drugs

...Convicted cocaine dealer and MMA fight promoter Chad Tsuneyoshi may not be satisfied with just having his wife on the Honolulu Council....

...Sitting Kauai County Councilmember and Eleven Others Charged with Participation in a Drug Trafficking Organization....

...Analysis of the vaping industry in Hawaii, including economic data, state health department findings on vaping-related lung illnesses, youth e-cigarette use, tobacco retail compliance checks, and state funding dedicated to tobacco control programs....

...“New Year’s Eve was just one of many indications that the inspection process is lacking, which is how illegal goods are coming into the state through our ports. We have seen an increase in gun violence, drug addiction is an epidemic and we are at high-risk for suffering from toxic substances and agricultural invasive species that can hurt our environment,” said Councilmember Pine....

...In 2019, Hawaii's legislature expressly re-incorporated failure to obtain needed treatment for mental illness to prevent serious physical debilitation or disease into its definition of 'dangerous to self.' ....

"...ADC acknowledged that there is some criminal activity going on but said they did not want to send sheriffs there and clear it out because criminals would just come back...."

...Pacific Quest Corp operating two illegal special treatment facilities or therapeutic living programs....

...the administrative asset forfeiture rules will become effective on January 17, 2020....

...FDA and state health laboratories have detected vitamin E acetate (a synthetic form of vitamin E) in a sample of vaping fluids also containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active compound in marijuana....

... The Big Island Substance Abuse Council (BISAC) will operate the pilot project ....

... Its hard being a tweeker ....

...If you are an adult using vaping devices to kick a cigarette habit, do not return to smoking cigarettes....

...These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security (Homeland Security Investigations), Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), U.S. Marshals Service Hawaii Fugitive Task Force, and the Honolulu Police Department....

...a July 22, 2019 'melee' between members of the Fullard-Leo family and 20 pimps and drug dealers....

...SB 1405 calls for confiscation, increased fines for youth....

...John Topasna Mantanona aka 'Boom' was arrested today, June 26, 2019, and charged with obstructing justice by endeavoring to influence a juror and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine hydrochloride....

"... (Marijuana grower Ranson Shepherd) may audit any and all records of (OHA) relating to the Confidential Information, as well as (OHA’s) security and protection measures, and procedures ...."

...the Governor has indicated his discomfort with the bill....

...In Hawaii, opioid deaths, hospitalizations, and treatment services have risen significantly over the last several years....

...Hawaii has the 2nd-most treatment centers per drug user....

...the police officer observed drug paraphernalia in plain view and subsequently arrested Espejo....

...On Thursday, May 3, 2019, the 30th legislative session closed.... 

...warning letters have been sent to companies that have targeted vulnerable populations with false advertising....

...2019 Legislative Session – Notable Bills....

...Sine Die May 2--What happens next at the Governor's Office?....

...industrial hemp business for the U.S. is significant for Hawaii, where the climate makes it possible to harvest up to three crops annually....

...Most of the suicide bills we have been tracking are in conference committee....

...through 2018, the incidence of drug related deaths in the state has surpassed traffic fatalities in Hawaii. Fortunately, death rates have declined since the Initiative was launched, with more than 120 overdose reversal from administration of Naloxone in the last year....

... We believe these bills are unconstitutional ....

...“What's most ironic is my comments were censored by Majority Leader Belatti, who happens to be a strong advocate to legalize marijuana." -- Rep Gene Ward....

...CROSSOVER: Bills alive move to the opposite chamber....

...Out-of-state minors can also apply if they (claim to) meet specific eligibility criteria....

...decriminalization of marijuana is not the same as marijuana legalization....

...The Sackler family is held largely responsible for our current opioid epidemic – the No. 1 killer in our nation....

...Several bills to educate the community on suicide prevention are making their way through the legislative process....

... Monday, February 4, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee will be hearing HB 1383 Relating to Marijuana in room 325 at 2:05 ....

...Rep. Cynthia Thielen's bills this Legislative session....

...Dr. Jeffrey Singer exposes the facts and myths about the opioid overdose problem in the United States....

...The Hawaii DOA lists the following erroneous justification for HB939: "Given the nature of hemp as a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance . . .."   However, as of Dec. 20, 2018, hemp was removed from that list....

...As of Nov. 30, 2018 there were approximately 6,659 registered patients and 383 caregivers on Hawai‘i Island of the total 23,479 patients and 1,734 caregivers registered statewide. The primary reported condition for adult registered patients is ‘severe pain’. The primary reported condition for children under 18 years of age is ‘seizures’....

...there have been increasing issues with vandalism including damage to a palace window and graffiti on historic structures. This is a result of night time vagrancy and items such as hypodermic needles being left on the grass....

"...Eighty percent of those forcibly initiated into prostitution via sex trafficking also prostituted without a trafficker at a later point...."

...Representative Cynthia Thielen (R–Kailua, Kaneohe Bay) celebrates the legalization of industrial hemp through the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (H.R. 2), better known as the 2018 Farm Bill....

...Amphetamine-positive patients spent more time per visit on average in the emergency department and were more likely to require medication and physical restraints....

...Yes, your insurance rates will be going up, but we need our weed.  You straights exist to service us.  It is the order of things....

...Hawaii students tried to take their own lives at a higher rate than their peers across the country....

…Why You Should Not Vote Bill Aila for OHA….

...the well-documented conflict between federal and state law has created barriers for financial institutions desiring to serve businesses involved in state-licensed cannabis activities....

...Americans initiating heroin use dropped by around half from 2016 to 2017. The number of Americans misusing opioids also dropped for the second year in a row, and the number receiving specialty treatment for heroin use increased....