hawaii Archives - TheJointBlog

Legislation to Legalize Marijuana Passes First Reading in Hawaii Senate

January 28, 2018January 23, 2018 by Anthony Martinelli

Hawaii’s Senate has advanced legislation that would make marijuana legal for those 21 and older.

According to the Hawaii Legislature’s official website, Senate Bill 2683 was introduced on Friday and “Passed First Reading” yesterday. The measure was filed by Senator Kalani English (D) and is cosponsored by Senators Russell Ruderman (D), Brickwood Galuteria (D) and Gil Keithagaran (D). The proposal “Legalizes the personal use, possession, and sale of marijuana in a specified quantity”. It “Requires licensing to operate marijuana establishments”, and “Subjects marijuana establishments to excise taxes and income taxes.”

Senate Bill 2683 being passed through its first reading comes on the same day as Vermont officially becoming the ninth state to legalize marijuana, and the first to ever to do through their legislature and governor (rather than through the initiative process). It also comes less than six months after Hawaii’s first medical cannabis dispensary opened its doors, which was made possible through legislation approved by lawmakers in 2015 (a vote that came 15 years after the state initially legalized medical cannabis).

Hawaii to Become First State to Go Cashless for Marijuana Sales

September 12, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

By Audrey McAvoy | AP

Hawaii said Tuesday that it will be the first state to require marijuana sales to be handled without cash, saying it wanted to avoid robberies and other crimes targeting dispensaries.

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii won’t be allowed to accept cash beginning Oct. 1 and will require people to use a debit payment app instead. The app is already an option for marijuana transactions in six states, including California and Colorado.

Many marijuana businesses use cash because banks fear pot money could expose them to legal trouble from the U.S. government, which regulates banking and still bans marijuana.

Hawaii’s First Medical Cannabis Dispensary Now Open

August 8, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

17 years after Hawaii legalized medical cannabis, the legal sale of the medicine through a state-sanctioned dispensary has finally begun.

Maui Grown Therapies (44 Paa Street, Kahului) officially opened their doors today after receiving approval from the Department of Health to begin operations. According to Teri Freitas Gorman, director of community relations and patient affairs for the dispensary, they have been pre-registering patients and are currently accepting people only by appointments, though walk-in says are expected to start as soon as next week.

“Clearly this is a historic day not just for Maui but for the state of Hawaii,” says Freitas Gorman. “This is the first time in Hawaii that patients will be able to buy lab-tested, quality-assured medical cannabis from a state-licensed dispensary. We’re so excited.”

Hawaii Bill to Make State Refer to “Medical Marijuana” as “Medical Cannabis” Passes Two House Committees Unanimously

April 4, 2017April 4, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

Two House committee in Hawaii have unanimously passed a bill to change the way the state refers to “medical marijuana”.

[Update: According to Senator Mike Gabbard the measure has now been passed unanimously by the full House of Representatives.]

Senate Bill 786 has been passed by both the House Health Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, both unanimously. The measure, filed by Senator Mike Gabbard (D), has already been passed by the Senate with a 25 to 0 vote. It will soon be up for a vote in the full House of Representatives.

Senate Bill 786 would amend “Hawaii Revised Statutes and Hawaii Administrative Rules to substitute references to “medical marijuana” and like terms with “medical cannabis” and like terms”, and “Requires the department of health to make all conforming revisions to documents, letterhead, websites, and other necessary items by December 31, 2019.”

Hawaii: Proposal to Expand Medical Marijuana Law Passed by Two Senate Committees on Same Day

March 30, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

Legislation that would expand Hawaii’s medical marijuana law was passed by two Senate committees today, sending it towards a vote by the full Senate.

House Bill 1488 was passed unanimously today by both the Senate Judicial Law Committee, and the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The votes come roughly a week after the measure – which has already passed the House of Representatives – was approved by the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health Committee.

House Bill 1488 would amend the definition of adequate supply of marijuana to include seven marijuana seedlings, and would “amend the definition of “debilitating medical condition” to include lupus, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and autism as conditions that qualify for the legal use of medical marijuana.”

Hawaii Bill to Expand Medical Cannabis Law Passes Senate Committee, Already Passed House

March 24, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

Legislation to expand Hawaii’s medical cannabis program has been passed by its initial Senate committee; it’s already passed the full House of Representatives.

House Bill 1488 was reported out of the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health Committee today. Earlier this month it passed the full House of Representatives.

The proposed law would amend “the definition of “adequate supply” of marijuana to include seven marijuana seedlings”, and would amend “the definition of “debilitating medical condition” to include lupus, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and autism as conditions that qualify for the legal use of medical marijuana.”

Hawaii Bill Adding Five New Medical Cannabis Conditions Passes House Committee

March 22, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

The Hawaii House Health Committee has passed a measure that wold expand the state’s medical cannabis program. They also unanimously passed a bill to change state law to refer to “medical marijuana” as “medical cannabis”.

Senate Bill 174, which has already passed the Senate with a unanimous 25 to 0 vote, passed the House Health Committee yesterday; the vote was 4 to 2. The proposal would add lupus, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and autism as conditions that qualify someone to become a legal medical cannabis patient.

Currently medical cannabis use in Hawaii is limited to those with cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS or a “chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces” cachexia, severe pain or nausea, seizures, sever muscle spasms or post traumatic stress disorder.

Hawaii Bill to Rename “Medical Marijuana” to Medical Cannabis” Passes Senate Unanimously

March 13, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

Hawaii’s Senate has unanimously passed a bill to legally change how the state refers to “medical marijuana”.

Senate Bill 786 – filed by Senator Mike Gabbard (D) – would revise Hawaii’s laws and administrative rules to no longer refer to “medical marijuana”, but to instead call it “medical cannabis”. It passed the Senate with a 25 to 0 vote.

According to the bill’s official text, the change is necessary because “Marijuana” has no scientific basis but carries prejudicial implications rooted in racial stereotypes”. The measure notes that “cannabis”, on the other hand, carries with it “no such negative connotations.”

Hawaii Senate Votes Unanimously to Allow Medical Cannabis for Lupus, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis and Autism

March 7, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

A Hawaii measure that would expand the list of qualifying medical cannabis conditions has been passed by the state’s full Senate.

Senate Bill 174 was passed today with a unanimous 25 to 0 vote. It now goes to the House of Representatives, where its passage will send it to Governor David Ige for consideration.

If passed into law, the proposal would allow those with lupus, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and autism to become registered medical cannabis patients, allowing them to possess, purchase (from a licensed dispensary) and use cannabis and cannabis products for medical use.

Hawaii Committee Unanimously Passes Bill to Legalize Hemp with No License Required

February 20, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

A bill that would treat hemp like other crops such as tomatoes, allowing it to be grown by anyone without a license, has been approved by its initial committee in Hawaii.

The House Agricultural Committee approved House Bill 773 with a unanimous 7 to 0 vote. The measure makes it so that “No person shall be subject to any civil or criminal sanctions in this State for planting, growing, harvesting, possessing, processing, selling, or buying industrial hemp”. Hemp would be defined as having no more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the active ingredient in cannabis).

The proposal is now in the House Judiciary Committee, where passage would set it up for a vote in the full House. Passage by the full House would sent it to the Senate, where approval would put it to the desk of Governor David Ige for final consideration.