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Posted: Thursday, January 24th, 2013 9:20 AM HST
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Hawai`i lawmakers want to legalize marijuana
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HONOLULU (AP) — Several key Hawai`i lawmakers want to legalize marijuana in the Aloha State. House Speaker Joseph Souki and House Majority Leader Scott Saiki, both Democrats, introduced a bill to legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by
people aged 21 years or older. Nine lawmakers co-sponsored a similar bill in the state Senate. The move comes in the wake of marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington last
year. The senators say that legalizing the drug will decrease crime rates and help Hawaii's economy. They say that legalizing the substance is "natural, logical and reasonable" given
current scientific research and public opinion. Opponents, including House Minority Leader Aaron Ling Johanson, say that legalization may increase crime rates.
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