Title:
Hawaii: Call to request a hearing on the decriminalization bill
Message:
Time is running out for the marijuana reform bill that has the best prospects in the Hawaii House of Representatives. SB 2450 SD1, a bill making possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana a civil violation subject to a fine of up to $300 (and up to $500 for subsequent violations), has passed the Senate by a strong 22-3 margin. This would dramatically improve marijuana policy — currently, the penalty is up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Now it needs to be heard in its single assigned committee, the Judiciary Committee, if it’s to make it to the House floor this year. (You can click here to view the bill.)
Please call Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu, chairman of the House Judiciary committee, and urge him to schedule SB 2450 SD1 for a hearing and to vote "yes."
Use our talking points to call and urge Chairman Karamatsu to support the decriminalization bill.
In other news, the two medical marijuana reform bills that passed the Senate have stalled in committee. SB 2213 would have allowed counties to establish medical marijuana dispensaries, and SB 2141 would have increased the amount of marijuana that patients were allowed to possess. While there is still a chance that these bills will move this year, it seems unlikely at this point – which is all the more reason for you to urge your representatives to take action on SB 2450 SD1. Please send this alert to other concerned Hawaiians and ask them to support decriminalizing marijuana in Hawaii as well.
Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and our colleagues at the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii.
