Hawaii Officials Propose New Cannabis Bills

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]o start off the 2020 legislative session, several new cannabis-related bills are being proposed in Hawaii.

According to West Hawaii Today, this is the result of a bill passed in 2019 that decriminalized possession of cannabis for those possessing three grams or less. This year could bring a lot of change for the industry based on some of these proposals, as 21 new measures have been introduced in total. “The last one went through the House and the Senate with no reservations,” said Rep. Richard Creagan, who co-sponsored both bills currently introduced to the House. “So, I hope the governor will be able to change his perceptions on the bill this time.”

Other new bills introduced in the Hawaii House deal with improvements to the current dispensary system. One would allow people to distribute cuttings of cannabis, one would legalize selling cannabis seeds,  and another proposes legal edibles for those inside the state.

In contrast to the bills proposed in the House, the Senate bills seem to focus more on expanding legalization in several different ways. They call for things such as expanded amount of allowed cannabis, full, recreational, legalization and Schedule 1 exemption.

When Hawaii first decriminalized cannabis in 2019, even though this is traditionally a small step, many anticipated an exciting future for cannabis in the state, and based on this legislative session, it appears this may be the case. Based on the fact that Hawaii already allows travelers to purchase cannabis, there are definitely some exciting possibilities for the new year. With so many bills currently up for consideration, and a fair amount of support for cannabis in both the House and the Senate, chances are some of this proposed legislation will make it off the cutting room floor.