Court Opinion

ID: 9588266
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:32:02.188258+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:00:46.174964
License: Public Domain

CONCURRING OPINION OF
ABE, J.
It is conceded by the appellants that the regulation of the use of marijuana is a reasonable and legitimate exercise of the police power of this State. However, they contend that the inclusion of marijuana in the narcotic drug statute, HRS Ch. 329, is unreasonable and violates the Due Process Clauses of the United States Constitution and the Hawaii State Constitution. The appellants presented this question as the sole issue on appeal.
I.
Appellants contend that marijuana does not have the *335common attributes present in narcotics and does not come within the scientific definition of “narcotics,” and that, therefore, the classification of marijuana with narcotics is irrational and unreasonable and violates the due process guaranty. On the other hand the State contends that once the statute defines marijuana among narcotic drugs, it is immaterial that the statutory definition is not identical to the scientific definition.
The two expert witnesses who testified defined marijuana to be a drug and I have no doubt that marijuana may be classified as a drug.
Judging from articles written by experts on the subject of marijuana it appears that it has certain characteristics of narcotics. Dr. Casarett, who was called by the appellants as well as the appellee, testified that cocaine, opium, morphine, and marijuana all can be classified as euphotic, and as stimulants and intoxicants. He also testified that “a narcotic compound is, in its strictest definition, * * * one which stupefies, depresses the central nervous system, tends to produce sleep, these are often taken as synonymous entities.” In his testimony he stated, contrary to the appellants’ contention, that the definition of a narcotic did not include the capacity to produce a tolerance or physical addiction. However, he also stated that in his opinion tolerance can be developed to marijuana and that this opinion is supported by the current pharmacological and medical writers. This tolerance he stated is more properly defined as a “drug dependence,” and is basically a psychic dependence. He then concluded that the physiology of the dependence is more or less irrelevant, and that marijuana is an addicting drug in an over-all sense.
However, whether or not marijuana is technically a “narcotic” is irrelevant. I agree with Chief Justice Richardson’s statement that:
“The legislature has a broad power to define terms for a particular legislative purpose, end the courts, as a general rule of construction, are bound to follow legis*336lative definitions of terms rather than commonly accepted dictionary, judicial or scientific definitions. * * * Inasmuch as the word ‘narcotic’ in popular usage includes marihuana, it is no violation of the guarantee of due process of law for the legislature to employ such usage over the more precise usage favored by the scientific community. * * *”
I believe that the more interesting and pertinent issue raised by the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses is not whether marijuana is a “narcotic,” but whether marijuana is, like narcotics, sufficiently harmful to the general welfare that the possession of marijuana may be prohibited in the same way possession of the narcotics is prohibited. However, the only argument made by the appellants is that marijuana is not technically a “narcotic,” and cannot be included in a statutory scheme with true narcotics. Thus, it is unnecessary to reach other issues raised by the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause. However, inasmuch as other justices today have reached some of those issues, I will briefly outline my thoughts.
II.
I do not agree with Chief Justice Richardson that one does not enjoy the fundamental constitutional right to smoke marijuana. I stated in the dissent in State v. Lee, 51 Haw. 516, 465 P.2d 573 (1970), that I believed that under Art. I, Sec. 2 of the Hawaii State Constitution1 one has a fundamental right of liberty to make a fool of himself as long as his act does not endanger others, and that the state may regulate the conduct of a person under pain of criminal punishment only when his actions affect the gen*337eral welfare — that is, where others are harmed or likely to be harmed. Thus, I believe that the right to the “enjoyment of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” includes smoking of marijuana, and one’s right to smoke marijuana may not be prohibited or curtailed unless such smoking affects the general welfare.
I have read numerous articles on marijuana and I believe that I gained some knowledge on the subject, however, I consider myself far from being an expert. Truthfully,- I cannot say whether those who claim that the use of marijuana is harmful are correct or those who take the opposite view are correct.
It would appear that Professor John Kaplan has adopted an objective view when he says:
“ [T] oday, the allegations are not that long-term marijuana use causes mental illness but rather that it causes another type of mental deterioration — brain damage. Primary reliance again is placed upon foreign studies, but these suffer from great methodological difficulties and, in fact, seem to agree that moderate use of the drug is not harmful. The most reliable foreign study, that of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, as well as recent studies in the United States, indicate the long-range effects of most marijuana use are not serious. The effects of long-term heavy use of marijuana are in great part not known. A major reason for this is that the methodological difficulties in the studies that purport to find serious damage are so significant that one simply cannot tell. In addition, the problem of determining the long-range mental harm due to any substance is an extremely difficult one.
“On the other hand, medical groups that have denounced marijuana as a dangerous drug are not completely wrong. To some extent, of course, the drug is dangerous.” Kaplan, Marijuana, The New Prohibition, pp. 193-94.
*338He then says, at pages 314-15:
“In the case of marijuana, just as in the case of alcohol or tobacco, no matter what means of control is attempted, there will be those who will use the drug to their own and to society’s detriment. The dangers of marijuana may have been grossly exaggerated, but as shown in Chapter V, they are far from negligible — especially for the very young. And although the total number affected seriously may still not be very' impressive compared to the magnitude of other public-health problems, there is no reason why we should not strive to keep it as low as practicable.
“It would seem clear, therefore, that we should treat marijuana considerably moie respectfully than we do sugar candy. * * *”
Judging from the multitude of writings, there is considerable controversy on the issue whether marijuana is or is not harmful. Also it was testified that using the analogy of an iceberg only 5 percent is known about marijuana and its effects and therefore can be considered above water, and 95 percent is unknown or under water. On the other hand, on the subject of alcohol and tobacco and their effects 90 percent is known or above water.
Of course, in my opinion, the finding that marijuana is harmful to the user does not authorize the State under its police power to prohibit its use under threat of punishment. Under the doctrine I stated in the dissent in State v. Lee, 51 Haw. 516, 465 P.2d 573 (1970), the State must prove that the use of marijuana is not only harmful to the user but also to the general public before it can prohibit its use. However, the appellants have conceded both in the trial court and on appeal that the State may regulate the use of marijuana under its police power. Thus, under the record of this case the State was not required to prove this point. It would be unreasonable for this court therefore to hold that, in spite of this concession in the proceedings,' the State should have met *339its burden of proof on this point.
Therefore, under the record of this case, I am compelled to affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Art. I, Seel 2 of the Hawaii State Constitution reads:
“All persons are free by nature and are equal in their inherent and inalienable rights. Among these rights are the enjoyment of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and the acquiring and possessing of property. These rights cannot endure unless the people recognize their corresponding obligations and responsibilities.”