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Kona man arrested on marijuana charges Friday

Marijuana was seized from Clark's vehicle.

Marijuana was seized from Clark's vehicle.

MEDIA RELEASE

Nathan Clark

Nathan Clark

A Kailua-Kona man was charged Friday afternoon (May 1), with marijuana offenses following his arrest Thursday.

Investigators from the Area II Vice Section served a search warrant on a vehicle belonging to 33-year-old Nathan Clark. Police recovered nearly 40 ounces (2½ pounds) of dried marijuana having a street value of more than $9,000. They also seized more than $6,800 in cash for forfeiture.

Clark was charged with one count each of commercial promotion of marijuana, promoting a detrimental drug and drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $11,00

3 Responses to “Kona man arrested on marijuana charges Friday”

  1. Nathan Clark says:

    This is Nathan Clark from the article and I was curious about several things.

    Do you use the most recent mug shots in your press releases or the ones the police make available? This photo was taken after I had been indicted by a Grand Jury in Feb. of 2008. The cannabis sanctuary and ministry I was operating in the Kona palisades was raided on Nov. 7th of 2007. I had gone to court that morning in Feb. expecting a preliminary hearing and was arrested and rebooked. I wasn’t allowed to drive from the Kealakekua court to the Kealakehe station where I was rebooked. I was upset, as the picture shows, about having to find a ride back up mauka to retrieve my vehicle as I was free on bail after I was reprocessed.

    Why don’t you write about the lack of discretion and absurdness of the inconveniences someone has to go through when they are dealing with the system. What if I was working for someone and said that I was only going to be gone an hour? That could have cost me my job making it even harder for me to survive in the “legitimate” world.

    I was smiling in my recent mug shots as I was trying to make the most of an unfortunate situation and win people over with love as hate only alienates. If you had the choice of using a picture of me smiling and this picture, shame on you for using a photo to sensationalize what appears to be a hardened criminal caught, allegedly, with money and cannabis.

    You should also use the word cannabis in place of marijuana. Marijuana is a racial slur against Mexicans brought into popular use and sensationalized by William Randolph Hearst. You should check out the book The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer for a plethora of information on how the media has demonized cannabis and spread misinformation about this plant that could truly save the planet as it has so many uses from textiles, plastics, medicines, fuel, building materials, paper, etc.

    Also, it is unfortunate that although all of the bags that were allegedly found in my vehicle were tagged with a THC Ministry tag explaining that it was for spiritual use. There is no mention of this in your article. Then there is the argument that a person may be allowed to possess a small amt. for personal, spiritual or medical use, but where are they to find a safe and reliable source to acquire it? Do you know how hard it is for patients to have a steady reliable and safe way of accessing this medicine when most people can’t grow, with the legal limitations, the quality or quantity they need to stay supplied. When they run out of medicine, they can’t go to the pharmacy and have their script refilled, they go without and suffer. For a cancer, AIDES or MS patient, this is a terrible ordeal.

    I am not some drug dealer hussling bags on the corner to kids and to whoever. I administered the sacraments of my faith to card carrying members of The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry and valid medical cannabis patients 21 and over and am not ashamed. I helped sick and dying people find temporary comfort and relief from their symptoms and helped members of the ministry responsibly connect to their higher power as is their God given right. There are no victims here except those of the drug war.

    I have respect for my community, and as I am a parent, other parents. Which brings up another sad point, the pressures of the world because of this crazy drug war destroyed my loving family and my wife left with my son for the mainland. I was a devoted and loving father and now my son is growing up without me. How many more families have to be destroyed before this nonsenses stops? How many more children have to be ripped from the loving arms of their parents and placed in foster homes unnecessarily? Please shed a different light on the subject of cannabis instead of the irresponsible, one-sided journalism that is all too common in our media. You who write and publish these articles have a great responsibility to promote the truth. Please make this a priority in the future.

    Here is a link to a variety of information on cannabis: http://www.ukcia.org/research/safe-medicine.htm

    Sincerely,
    Nathan Clark

    • Daniel Lovejoy says:

      Drugs are more important to you than your family? You need to rethink your stance here.
      Cannabis, like alcohol is a drug. When the use of such interferes with your life, and your family, it is a problem – and wrong.
      Don’t blame the system for this. This was your choice, and one that you continue to choose even after the loss of your family.
      Think about it.
      dslovejoy1 (at) yahoo (dot) com

      • Nathan Clark says:

        Mr. Lovejoy,

        I am a man that stands up for his convictions, regardless of whether or not it is the easy thing to do. While many of my views have matured and evolved since my arrest in 2009, I wouldn’t change the path I had to walk so much as I would like to walk that path with more grace than before.

        I do not appreciate the assertions and judgements you make, when you know so little about me. I take personal responsibility for my situation and don’t blame anyone. However, this does not mean that I will be apathetic and complacent and not speak out against the tyranny of our drug laws or the uninformed judgement you pass against me. I will not just accept my situation without trying to make the world a better place for all, to include creating more awareness that there still are good people who are having their lives destroyed by laws that are in place to control people and fill the state coffers and that these laws do little to protect or serve the people that are intended for.

        A great example of this are laws that outlawed making butane honey oil (BHO) in California and many other places. I have heard that it is illegal here also, but could not find credible proof quickly. The answer is education, not criminalizing something many of these idiot stoners are going to do anyway. If the law was truly there to keep people safe, laws such as these would not be passed bc now people are more apt to make BHO indoors for privacy, which makes it much more dangerous, especially for many of these boneheads making it. Making it outdoors can still be dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous or risky to property and occupants of a dwelling.

        We are all in this together, Mr. Lovejoy, whether a person uses cannabis or not. These laws have torn apart families more than the drugs. These laws have destroyed the possibility of many good people to receive financial aid for higher education and thereby greatly limiting their future potential much more than a drug that is no longer used could ever do. The drug war is a war against the people. It is a way of socially controlling and limiting the impoverished, relegating them to serve the privileged elite.

        Everyone makes mistakes, Mr. Lovejoy. I agree with you that when a person can no longer be responsible for themselves or their commitments in life, it is a problem. That is why the legalization of all drugs and free treatment to all who want it is the cheapest and most effective way to help heal our society, as Portugal has demonstrated over the last 14 years. The drug war has about a 42 year history of failure that has turned the USA, land of the free and home of the brave, into the most incarcerated country in the world with a marginalized and impoverished society that represent the many casualties of this war.

        It is hard to have a society that has good values when they come from homes and communities broken by both drugs and the drug war, which is really a war on the people. Portugal legalized all drugs and made treatment available to everyone who wanted it. Their hard drug use went down considerably as well as their crime rate. The head of their police force was initially against it, but has since realized that the data shows huge improvements in many areas to society.

        http://mic.com/articles/110344/14-years-after-portugal-decriminalized-all-drugs-here-s-what-s-happening

        I am not saying that I like all drugs or even cannabis. I have always been a light weight and its use has generally made it hard for me to focus and caused me great anxiety, which is why I generally don’t use it or any other drug. However, freedom means that as individuals, we have the ability to make these choices for ourselves provided that we are responsible in life and do not become burdens to our families or communities. Doing away with the stigma of being an addict and offering true rehabilitation free of charge and praise for those who have the courage to seek is what is really necessary. This is a much more cost effective alternative to incarceration and the long-term societal effects of broken families. Think about it.

        And I have thought about this long and hard during the year of my life spent incarcerated.

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