Posted on: Thursday, September 5, 2002

Marijuana advocate, candidate for governor sentenced, fined

Advertiser Staff and News Services

HILO, Hawai'i — A Big Island judge sentenced marijuana advocate Jonathan Adler, who was running for governor as a third-party candidate, to six months in jail and fined him $4,350 for two marijuana felony cases.

Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura also ordered Adler to begin serving his sentence immediately.

The sentence disqualifies Adler from holding public office. He had been running for governor as a Natural Law Party candidate.

Dwayne Yoshina, chief elections officer, said a notice will be placed inside each of several hundred voting booths statewide to advise voters that Adler has been disqualified "pursuant to a judgment by the court."

Adler, 50, spoke for 45 minutes, urging the judge to understand and respect his religious and medical reasons for using marijuana. The resident of Hawaiian Paradise Park in Puna said he never was driven by "greed or drug-dealing" and has devoted much of the past 10 years educating the Big Island about the legal uses of the substance.

Adler, minister of the East Hawai'i Religion of Jesus Church, said marijuana "is the holy sacrament" of his religion. He also holds a state-issued medical marijuana-users permit to treat asthma and sleep problems.

Adler was convicted in June for possessing more than 50 marijuana plants and drug paraphernalia. Under terms of a plea agreement, Adler also pleaded guilty to one count of distributing and one count of possessing marijuana, according to his lawyer.

Under the sentence for the two cases, Adler must spend six months in jail. If he complies with conditions of probation when he is released, another six months of his sentence will be stayed.