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As the Legislature once again considers legalizing cannabis, there are a few observations I would offer.

Twenty-four states have legalized recreational cannabis, which includes over half the population of the country. Some states have over a decade of experience with legal adult use.

Why do we hear so much local opposition based on theoretical fears, when not a single one of these 24 states have gone back on the decision? None are even considering reversing the decision. This simple, real-world fact settles the question for any reasonable person.

It’s farcical that we have so-called experts in our state cautioning against this move while having zero experience with legal cannabis.

Cannabis is a tricky subject, laden with controversial political connotations. So please join me in this thought experiment:

Let’s say cherry cola is illegal in many states, but legal in some. (The reasons why it’s illegal are cloudy and illogical, and we don’t need to delve into that for our purposes.)  But now we are considering legalizing cherry cola in the Aloha State.

We have people telling us cherry cola is incredibly dangerous. These people have never lived in a state with legal cherry cola. Meanwhile, over half of our country lives in a state where cherry cola is legal and regulated. And they enjoy cherry cola if desired, legally and without drama.

Who should we listen to? The real life experience of many millions of people, or those who are unfamiliar with cherry cola in real life.

Of course, this comparison is silly. After all, cherry cola is much more dangerous than cannabis.

We hear concerns about impairment from cannabis use as a driving hazard. But by far most impairment-caused accidents are from drunken driving, and these incidents are reduced in many states with legal cannabis. Likewise the rates of opioid use have been lowered in many cases after legalization. Which is the bigger hazard to health and safety, cannabis use or opioid use?

Recently I learned from a policeman friend in another state about a frightening new trend — black market cannabis laced with fentanyl. About one half of “street cannabis” samples in his district are now found to contain this deadly drug.

It’s a cheap but dangerous way to make cannabis seem more potent. We have not seen much of this in Hawaii yet, but it may be just a matter of time. As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can kill someone, and quality control in such matters is probably nil. It’s dangerous.

With cannabis that is legal and controlled, such adulteration will not happen. If we’re really talking about protecting people from harm, legal safe cannabis is a big step forward.

I was a legislator when we were considering legalizing medical cannabis dispensaries, and a constituent asked to meet with me to share his concerns. He was distraught that he couldn’t get access to medical cannabis, which was technically legal at the time but not legally available.

From one pocket he produced a doctor’s note allowing him to use medical cannabis. From the other pocket he pulled out two prescription drug bottles, both heavy opioid drugs. He said “I hate to use these drugs, they are terrible for me,” and when he has access to cannabis he doesn’t need those opioids. He is a disabled American veteran struggling with chronic pain from his injuries.

While this related to medical cannabis, it showed clearly the absurdity of making this safe, beneficial substance hard to get while much more dangerous drugs are used in its place. The same principle applies to recreational cannabis as it often replaces the use of alcohol, black market cannabis or other potentially dangerous drugs.

Another concern cited by opponents of legalization is that it may harm Hawaii’s image as a tourist destination. For anyone who has travelled lately, this is laughable.

I’ve been to several places where cannabis is legal, including Colorado, Canada and California. One sees visitors from all over, and there is no rampant public use of cannabis. The reality is that not much has changed for the visitor experience.

If anything Hawaii will be more attractive to the modern tourist, from the mainland, Japan and elsewhere.

In some states the legalization process is so poorly managed that unnecessary problems occur. California and Oklahoma certainly have much to improve. Other states have had better results, and we can emulate these successful models and learn from their experience.

Of course, I trust our Legislature and agencies to do a mediocre job of this, but I hope I’m proven wrong.

Where cannabis has been legalized, in states large and small, red and blue, rural and diverse, the sky didn’t fall. Life goes on just fine, without major problems. The state coffers fill with new tax dollars, and many more millions flow through the legal local economy. The laws reflect the will of the people, common sense and worldwide trends.

It’s time for Hawaii’s laws to enter the modern era on responsible adult use of cannabis.