The Hawaii State Senate passed a bill on Tuesday which will legalize and regulate cannabis for adults, with an emphasis on public safety. The legislation now heads to the Hawaii House of Representatives.
Before reaching the floor of the Senate, SB 3335 SD2passed by four committees, which added several amendments including preventing children from being removed from their homes if parents use marijuana, preventing denial of government benefits and rights, etc. Expungements or expungements of criminal records related to arrests and penalties for marijuana possession are included in the measure.
“While this is an imperfect bill that still contains too many elements of criminalization, it is welcome news to have a viable adult legalization bill that can be improved when it reaches the House,” he said. Nikos Leverends, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawai’i, and the Hawai’i Health and Harm Reduction Center. “The Hawaii Drug Policy Forum and other members of the Hawaii Alliance for Cannabis Reform hope that our proposed amendments will be considered by the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee. including many first-year congressmen, who have put too much currency into the monotonous fact-based rhetoric from the criminal legal lobby”.
Highlights of the bill
The approved version of the bill includes the following proposals:
- Establishes the Hawaii Hemp and Hemp Authority and the Hemp and Hemp Control Board in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to regulate all aspects of the hemp plant.
- Establishes the Hemp and Cannabis Control Implementation Advisory Committee.
- It legalized the personal use of marijuana by adults, beginning January 1, 2026, allowing for additional future amendments and considerations.
- It imposes sales taxes on adult cannabis and medical cannabis, but also entitles licensed cannabis businesses to state tax relief, which is not allowed at the federal level due to IRS tax code 280E.
- Growing in holes will also be legal under the law, allowing adults to grow up to six plants.
The Senate also passed another marijuana-related bill – SB 2487, which aims to decriminalize the plant. Under the proposed measure, possession of more than 15 grams of cannabis would be treated as a third-degree misdemeanor, and possession of more than 30 grams would be considered a second-degree misdemeanor.
A recent Hawai’i Perspectives poll found that 58% of Hawaiians favor “legalizing marijuana to allow for the possession, manufacture, and sale of marijuana by and to adults, subject to state licensing, regulation, and taxation.”
“Hawaii has been left behind in the era of cannabis policy reform, but 2024 could be the year it finally changes.” Karen O’Keefe, the director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Program said in a statement. “Right now, Hawaii lawmakers have an opportunity to not only pass legalization and regulation, but also work to improve the bill to ensure it is rooted in fairness and equity rather than an overly punitive approach. “Cannabis legalization is essential criminal justice reform, and Hawaii’s lawmakers should treat it as such by focusing much more on education, reinvesting in communities, restorative justice, and building a fair and inclusive industry.”
See also: Hawaii senators pass cannabis legalization bill despite internal opposition to governor’s pro-reform stance
The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference returns to Florida, at a new location in Hollywood, on April 16 and 17, 2024. The two-day event at The Diplomat Beach Resort it will be an opportunity for entrepreneurs, big and small, to network, learn and grow. Renowned for its trendsetting abilities and influence on the future of cannabis, mark your calendars – this conference is the big event of the year for the cannabis world. Get your tickets now at bzcannabis.com – Prices going up very soon!
Photo: Benzinga edited with images from Troy Squillac via Pexels and Nicole Pineda from Pixabay
