Petition drive launched to get ordinance on ballot

In what could be the first successful use of the initiative process in Hawaii, Maui County Citizens For Democracy In Action has launched their petition drive to place the 2008 Maui County Family Farmer Regulation and Revenue Ordinance (MCFFRRO) on this November’s ballot.

As we anticipate with trepidation the economic fallout from the Molokai Ranch closure, the 2008 MCFFRRO offers a refreshing opportunity for the people of the Friendly Isle.

The state of Hawaii currently has over 4,000 licensed patients in the medical marijuana program, 1,000 of them living in Maui County. One possible implementation of the MCFFRRO would place farms on Molokai. Maui patients alone could support between five and 25 farms, creating jobs on Molokai.

Bolstered by a provision that all Hawaii Blue Card holders acquire their medicine from specifically zoned sites, the Molokai community could experience an unparalleled economic explosion. Hawaii’s current medical marijuana patient population would support anywhere from 20 to 100 farms, each with three to nine well-paid employees. Job opportunities will include entry-level as well as supervisor positions. These positions could ultimately outnumber the lost jobs from Molokai Ranch and generate far more income per worker.

It is clear that classical/traditional remedies for economic misfortune haven’t served us very well in contemporary times. We are fortunate that our “out-of-the-box” efforts to serve Hawaii’s medical community can also rescue Molokai’s economy at this critical juncture. Please consider the possibilities as we seek to improve the lives of our most vulnerable friends and neighbors.

Brian J. Murphy

Paia