Panacea Or Pipe Dream: Does Portugal's Drug Decriminalization Policy Translate for Hawaii? Honolulu, HI: Legislative Reference Bureau, January 2017
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PANACEA OR PIPE DREAM: DOES PORTUGAL’S DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION POLICY TRANSLATE FOR HAWAII? Primary Researchers: PAUL KANOHO JOHNNY BRANNON MATTHEW PRELLBERG Research Attorneys Supervising Researcher: EDWIN L. BAKER Senior Researcher Report No. 1, 2017 Legislative Reference Bureau State Capitol Honolulu, Hawaii http://lrbhawaii.org This report has been cataloged as follows: Kanoho, Paul + Brannon, Johnny + Prellberg, Matthew + Baker, Edwin L. Panacea or pipe dream: does Portugal's drug decriminalization policy translate for Hawaii? Honolulu, HI: Legislative Reference Bureau, January 2017. 1. Drug legalization – Portugal. 2. Drug legalization – Hawaii. KFH421.5 L35 A25 17-1 FOREWORD This report was prepared in response to House Concurrent Resolution No. 127, H.D. 1, S.D. 1 (2016), which requested the Legislative Reference Bureau to analyze the potential impact on state government of decriminalizing certain offenses regarding the illegal possession of drugs. The Bureau requested information from federal, state, county, and private entities and individuals to complete this study. The Bureau extends its appreciation to all those that generously provided information and assistance in the preparation of this report. Charlotte A. Carter-Yamauchi Director January 2017 iii Table of Contents Page FOREWORD ......................................................................................................................... iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................... xi 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 GENESIS OF THIS REPORT ............................................................................................ 1 THE SCOPE OF THIS REPORT ........................................................................................ 2 OUR APPROACH TO THIS REPORT ................................................................................ 2 ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT.................................................................................. 3 ENDNOTES .................................................................................................................. 3 2. DECRIMINALIZATION, DEPENALIZATION, LEGALIZATION, AND THE FOCUS OF THIS REPORT.............................................................................. 5 DECRIMINALIZATION, DEPENALIZATION, AND LEGALIZATION DEFINED .................... 5 THE BROADER DEBATE ON DRUG LAWS V. THE NARROWER FOCUS OF THIS REPORT ................................................................................................................. 6 ENDNOTES .................................................................................................................. 7 3. THE PORTUGAL EXPERIENCE ............................................................................ 8 PORTUGAL PRE-DECRIMINALIZATION ........................................................................ 8 NATIONAL DRUG STRATEGY ...................................................................................... 9 DECRIMINALIZATION .................................................................................................. 11 DISSUASION COMMISSION PROCESS............................................................................ 11 EFFECTIVENESS OF DISSUASION COMMISSIONS .......................................................... 13 ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT OF TREATMENT ...................................................... 14 HCR NO. 127'S RELIANCE ON THE CATO REPORT ...................................................... 14 GENERAL ANALYSIS OF THE CATO REPORT ................................................................ 15 OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY CRITICISMS OF CATO REPORT ........... 16 OTHER STUDIES DISPUTE OR CONTRADICT ASSERTIONS IN THE CATO REPORT .......... 18 "KEY RESULTS" OF DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION IN PORTUGAL .................................. 20 ENDNOTES .................................................................................................................. 24 4. PORTUGAL'S POLICY v. HAWAII'S LEGAL FRAMEWORK ............................ 34 CONFLICTING LEGAL AUTHORITY IN A FEDERAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT ............. 34 A SURVEY OF HAWAII DRUG OFFENSES UNDER THE SCOPE OF THE RESOLUTION ...... 36 THE LEGAL PRIORITY OF HEALTH CARE ..................................................................... 36 iv Page EXISTING ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION AVAILABLE UNDER HAWAII LAW ........................................................................................................ 37 Deferred Acceptance of Defendant’s No Contest or Guilty Plea .................. 37 Conditional Discharge ................................................................................... 38 Probation and Expungement of Record of Conviction for Certain Drug Possession Offenses ........................................................................ 38 Probation ........................................................................................................ 38 Drug Court ..................................................................................................... 39 Treatment or Imprisonment: Potential Limitations....................................... 40 ENDNOTES .................................................................................................................. 40 5. THE CHALLENGES OF ESTIMATING THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF DECRIMINALIZATION IN HAWAII ............................................................... 46 CURRENT BASELINE INFORMATION IS INSUFFICIENT TO ESTIMATE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF DECRIMINALIZATION ............................................... 46 INFORMATION REGARDING HAWAII'S DRUG PROBLEM: TRENDS, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION ............................................................................ 47 Drug Use Trends ............................................................................................ 47 Illicit Drug Use, Generally ................................................................. 48 Marijuana Use ....................................................................... 49 Nonmedical Stimulant, Depressant, and Pain Reliever Use ............................................................ 50 Stimulants and Depressants ....................................... 50 Pain Relievers ............................................................ 51 Heroin Use ............................................................................. 52 Methamphetamine Use........................................................... 53 The Limits on Evaluating Drug Use Trends ...................................... 54 The Current Drug Threat ................................................................... 54 Substance Use Treatment ............................................................................... 55 The Need for and Availability of Treatment in Hawaii ..................... 55 Treatment Information from the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division ................................................................. 56 Treatment Information from the Judiciary ............................ 58 Treatment Information from Other Agencies ......................... 58 Treatment Information from the Department of Human Services ............................................................... 59 Treatment Information from County Agencies ...................... 60 Treatment Information from the Department of Public Safety .................................................................... 60 Adequacy of Treatment Funding and Capacity ................................. 60 DRUG PREVENTION EFFORTS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE DIVISION................................................................. 62 v Page INFORMATION REGARDING THE ENFORCEMENT OF RELEVANT HAWAII DRUG POSSESSION Offenses ................................................................... 63 Arrests; Information from Police Departments.............................................. 63 Court Cases: Information from the Judiciary................................................ 65 Court Cases: Lack of Information from Prosecutors and the Public Defender ....................................................................................... 66 Arrests and Court Cases: Information from the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center .................................................................................. 66 PATTERN IN ARRESTS, PROSECUTIONS, AND INCARCERATIONS FOR SINGLE DRUG POSSESSION OFFENSES ................................................................... 68 INFORMATION REGARDING INCARCERATION EXPENDITURES ..................................... 69 THE UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE LEGISLATURE'S PREFERRED DECRIMINALIZATION SCHEME MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF DECRIMINALIZATION .............................. 70 UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHICH DRUGS SHOULD BE DECRIMINALIZED, AND IN WHAT QUANTITIES ........................................................................................... 70 UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER ADMINISTRATIVE OR JUDICIAL TRIBUNALS WOULD PRESIDE OVER PROCEEDINGS IN A DECRIMINALIZED SYSTEM ................ 71 UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHAT PENALTIES SHOULD BE IMPOSED ON VIOLATORS ........... 71 UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER VIOLATORS WOULD REMAIN SUBJECT TO ARREST AND DETENTION .................................................................. 72 UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER DECRIMINALIZATION WOULD