MPP Releases Cannabis Policy Voter Guide Ahead of General Election

MPP has released a Hawaii Cannabis Policy voter guide ahead of the Tuesday, November 8 general election. This year’s elections will be critical in determining whether Hawaii will finally adopt cannabis legalization in 2023.

In the Hawaii Legislature all 25 Senate seats and 51 House seats were up this year due to reapportionment, which redraws district lines every 10 years based on the latest census data. Due to redistricting, your legislative district may have changed since you last voted. You can find your state Senate and House district — along with everything else that will be on your ballot — on Ballotpedia.

Three state senators — Democrats Gil Keith-Agaran, Dru Kanuha and Republican Kurt Favella — faced no opposition in either the primary or the general and have already been reelected. In the House, seven members have also been reelected due to a lack of opponents — they include Republican Gene Ward and Democrats Mark Nakashima, Richard Onishi, Nicole Lowen, Scott Nishimoto and Linda Ichiyama.

The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 21. Voters are able to register online to vote here. You can find the dates for early voting and the steps and deadline to request an absentee ballot on the state Office of Elections website here.

The elections office says ballots for the general election are expected to begin arriving in the mail by Oct. 21. 

If you miss the deadline to register for the election, you can still walk in and register before and on Election Day (with proper ID or documentation of your residency) at Voter Service Centers, which will be open Oct. 25 through Nov. 8.

Be sure to check out our voter guides that explain where the candidates for governor, state House and state Senate on cannabis legalization. Then, make a plan to vote.

Hawaii legislative session ends; legalization proposals fail to gain traction

On Wednesday, May 5, the Hawaii Legislature adjourned the 2022 legislative session. Several legalization proposals carried over from the prior year, but none were called for a hearing or vote in either chamber. However, both chambers passed HB 2260 – An Act Relating to Cannabis – which makes several updates to Hawaii’s medical cannabis program. You can find a summary of HB 2260 here. 

Although outgoing Gov. David Ige (D) remains opposed, 73% of Hawaii residents support legalization, according to a Civiqs research poll. As we head into the election season, it’s more important than ever we let lawmakers know we want them to support a legal cannabis market that creates jobs and revenue for Hawaiian residents. Please sign up for our email updates on voter registration and the 2022 election voter guide. 

Hawaii Dual Use Cannabis Task Force convenes

On Monday, April 25 , the Dual Use of Cannabis Task Force convened its first meeting. During the 2021 legislative session, SB 1139, which mandated the task force, was passed by both chambers and signed into law as Act 169.  Under Act 169, the task force is charged with exploring the development of a dual system program of cannabis legalization and the impacts of legalization on qualifying patients, including access to medical cannabis by qualifying patients. The office of medical cannabis control and regulation is required to submit a report of the task force findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2023. 

The task force is compromised of the following members: 

• Garret Halydier, Esq. – Adult-Use Legal Scholar and Proponent 
• Nikos Leverenz, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center – Patient Advocate 
• Wendy Gibson-Vivian, RN, BSN – Patient Advocate 
• Randy Gonce, Executive Director – Hawaii Cannabis Industry Association 
• Rep. Ryan I. Yamane – Hawaii House of Representatives 
• Sen. Joy A. San Buenaventura – Hawaii State Senate 
• Terilynne Gorman, Communications Team Manager – County of Maui 
• Ellen Ching, Administrator Boards and Commissions – County of Kauai
• Dr. James Ireland, Director Honolulu Emergency Services – Certifying Medical Provider 
• Barett Otani, Executive Assistant – County of Hawaii 
• Jared Redulla, Chief Investigator Narcotics Enforcement Division – Department of Public Safety 
• Issac Choy, Director – Department of Taxation 
• Michele N. Nakata, Chief Office of Medical Cannabis Control, Department of Health 
• Jo Ann Uchida Takeuchi, Deputy Director, Department of Consumer Affairs 
• Dori Palcovich, Economic Development Specialist, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism

The task force will meet every last Monday of the month from May until November. Meeting information can be found here. 

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