ACLU commemorates the war on drugs’ 40th anniversary with two events

HONOLULU—The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii Foundation (ACLU) marks the 40th anniversary of the U.S. government’s “War on Drugs” by joining the Hawaii Drug Policy Forum and others at two public events this weekend.

The “Stop the Drug War” rally and sign waving will be held Friday, June 17 at 2:00 p.m. at the Hawaii State Capitol. 

“Trying Our Patients: Politics vs. Health in the War on Drugs,” featuring speaker Scott Michelman from the ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project and a subsequent panel discussion, will be held on Saturday, June 18 from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Blaisdell Center, in the 2nd Floor Maui Meeting Room.

Michelman, the National ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project attorney, has litigated cases involving medical marijuana, racially discriminatory drug law enforcement, federal sentencing law, and unreasonable search and seizure. Over the course of his career, Michelman’s docket has spanned a broad range of civil rights issues, including post-September 11 abuse of executive power, employment discrimination and wrongful termination, political protest, immigrants’ rights, freedom of the press, and enforcement of federal statutory rights. Michelman graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.

The panel topics and speakers include:

Collateral Damage #1:  Drug War Politics Trumps Science
“The Case for Rescheduling Cannabis,” Charlie Webb, M.D., Hawaii Island physician who drafted Hawaii Medical Association’s resolution urging rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III.

Collateral Damage #2:  Drug War Politics Impedes Research
“Barriers to Cannabis Research in Hawai`i,” Clifton Otto, M.D., who advocated for research in the 2011 legislative session.  He will also talk about his experiences as a first time advocate.

Collateral Damage #3:  Pain, Suffering, and Arrests
“Experiences of Hawaii Island Patients and Advocates,” Matt Rifkin, Americans for Safe Access, Big Island Chapter and Friends for Justice, will talk about organizing patients, support groups, implementation of the Lowest Law Enforcement Priority Ordinance and patient arrests for transporting cannabis.