HawaiiLegislation to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adult-use in 2019 approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee
Last update: February 20, 2019
After its first marijuana legalization hearing in five years, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to approve a bill to allow adults 21 and older to possess, cultivate, and consume marijuana. If passed, the Department of Health would be charged with regulating sales, and retail sales would begin in February 2021 at the earliest.
Let your lawmakers know you want them to pass legislation to end marijuana prohibition in 2019!
Voters in nine states — including every state on the West Coast — have chosen to treat marijuana more like alcohol, by making it legal for adults 21 and older, taxing, and regulating it. (In a 10th state, Vermont, adult-use possession and cultivation is legal, but there are no regulated sales.) These laws are working well, generating tax revenue, and creating good jobs without creating problems.
Unlike those states, Hawaii lacks a voter initiative process, so only lawmakers can chart a more sensible course. Contact your legislators today urging them to pass legislation to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older.
Hawaii lags behind rest of West Coast on marijuana policy
While 23 states have decriminalized or legalized marijuana, Hawaii lags behind. Possessing even a tiny amount of cannabis is punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, and a possible life-altering criminal record.
This legislative session, lawmakers are pushing for numerous marijuana reform efforts, including decriminalizing marijuana possession by imposing a civil fine instead of jail time.
While the legislature continues to delay, voters want reform. A 2012 QMark Research poll found that 69% of Hawaii voters believe that jail time for marijuana offenses is inappropriate.
Let your state lawmakers know it’s past time to decriminalize or legalize marijuana.
Medical cannabis program update
This session, legislation has been reintroduced to expand Hawaii’s medical marijuana law to include opiate use disorder as a qualifying condition. In 2018, the Hawaii Legislature approved SB 2707, which would have done so, but it was unfortunately vetoed by Gov. David Ige.
On July 10, 2018, Gov. Ige signed HB 2729 — a reciprocity bill — into law. The new law will allow patients who are registered in other medical marijuana states to use medical cannabis when they visit Hawaii. It also makes other improvements, including allowing medical cannabis certifications to last as long as three years for certain conditions and allows the retesting of cannabis.
One year earlier, in August 2017, Hawaii’s first dispensaries began serving patients, two years after the state’s dispensary law passed and 17 years after Hawaii became the first state to legislatively enact a medical marijuana law (rather than by ballot initiative).
Also that year, the legislature and governor strengthened and expanded Hawaii’s medical marijuana program by enacting H.B. 1488. The law added rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis to the list of qualifying conditions and allowed patients and caregivers to access testing facilities. Patients and caregivers are allowed to cultivate three additional plants of any maturity, for a total of 10 plants. A planned phasing out of caregivers’ ability to grow marijuana plants for patients was pushed back five years, to the end of 2023.
In addition, the Department of Health is now allowed to permit current licensees to open one additional dispensary — for a possible total of 24 statewide — and to cultivate more plants at their production sites.
Take action!
Speak out: Please ask your state lawmakers to support reducing the penalty for simple possession of marijuana with a modest fine. Or, ask your legislators to support ending the costly and futile prohibition of marijuana.
Stay connected: To stay updated on the status of marijuana policy reform in Hawaii, be sure to subscribe to MPP’s free legislative alert service.