Hawaii Lawmakers File Cannabis Legalization Bills For 2023 - New Pro-Reform Governor In Office
Hawaii lawmakers have filed bills to legalize cannabis in the state, and advocates are hopeful that the reform will be enacted with a new pro-legalization governor in office.
More than a dozen initial cosponsors have signed on to the legislation sponsored by Rep. Jean Kapela and Sen. Chris Lee. A state task force made recommendations for legalization last year, which helped inform the measures.
The Marijuana Policy Project, the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, and the Cannabis Policy Forum of Hawaii were among the organizations Kapela discussed during a press briefing last week. She said that they have a plan for the legalization of recreational cannabis. Marijuana is not just a matter of money; it is a matter of morals.
Adults 21 and older would be able to possess up to four ounces of cannabis and grow up to 10 plants indoors
Adults could gift cannabis without remuneration, and people could buy a maximum of four ounces from licensed retailers.
The state attorney general needs to identify cases eligible for expungement by the end of the year and issue automatic expungements by the beginning of the new year. Limits on possession and consumption of non-inhaled cannabis were not allowed by landlords. The governor and legislative leaders would make appointments to the cannabis authority. Rules for the adult-use program would be promulgated by the body.
There will be a three-year exclusive period for existing medical cannabis dispensaries to apply for dual licenses. Businesses that don't currently have a dispensary can apply for adult-use grants.
The program's administrative costs would be covered by the Cannabis Authority Special Fund. Social equity applicants disproportionately harmed by the drug war would be supported by a grant, loans, and technical assistance programs created by regulators.
50 percent of license fees would be free for owners with less than $750,000 in income from the previous year.
Out-of-state patients would be allowed to get medical cannabis in the state.
The sales tax on cannabis will increase from five percent to 15 percent in the next ten years. Marijuana businesses would be able to deduct their business expenses.
Medical cannabis sales would not be taxed.
Marijuana businesses are allowed to operate in local counties. Delivery services are not allowed. Social consumption lounges are possible for marijuana businesses. Marijuana paraphernalia would be legalized. Tobacco smoking would be banned in public. The bill says that the legalization of cannabis for personal or recreational use is a natural, logical, and reasonable outgrowth of the current science of Marijuana. Additionally, Marijuana cultivation and sales hold the potential for economic development, increased tax revenues, and crime reduction.
While the reform was approved in the Senate in 2021, it didn't go through the House before a deadline.
According to DeVaughn Ward, senior legislative counsel at MPP, the Hawaii legislative session is off to a good start. As the bill introduction deadline approaches, MPP and allied organizations are pushing for amendments to the bills, and we are expecting more to be introduced.
So far, the number of bills and legislative sponsors is an encouraging sign that the message of marijuana legalization seems to be gaining traction with lawmakers in Hawaii. The person said, "SoKO Cannabis is tracking hundreds of marijuana, psychedelics, and drug policy bills in congress.
Dave Soko, a Democratic governor, resisted legalization because he said he was reluctant to pass a law that conflicted with federal law.
Hawaii has a medical cannabis system that allows people to grow and sell cannabis in violation of federal law.
Activists are feeling more confident now that Gov. Josh Green has taken office. In November, he said he would sign a bill to legalize cannabis for adults and that he had ideas about how tax revenue from marijuana sales could be used.
For years, cannabis advocates have worked with lawmakers to develop a bill to tax and regulate cannabis in the state, but the governor has always been against the reform.
In 2021, Congress allowed a bill to become law without congressional signature that decriminalized possession of up to 4 grams of marijuana without the possibility of imprisonment. He described it as a callous call and said he went back and forth on it. A Hawaii Senate committee approved a bill last year that would allow people 65 and older to qualify for medical marijuana even if they have a diagnosed condition. The legislation wasn't enacted last session.
The state legislature passed a resolution to get an exemption from the Drug Enforcement Administration to run its medical cannabis program.
The measure was approved by the House but only in the chamber. Lawmakers in the state have been working on legislation.
Additionally, the House committee approved a Senate-passed resolution to request that the state form of a psilocybin working group explore the drug's therapeutic potential, but it didn't move forward. The Air Force is giving far more waivers to recruits who test positive for marijuana than expected.
U.S. Virgin Islands Passes Cannabis Legalization Bil
The U.S. Virgin Islands became the 25th state and territory in the United States to allow the recreational use of marijuana. The governor signed the Virgin Islands Cannabis Use Act on Wednesday.
The U.S. Virgin Islands has legalized marijuana for use by adults.
With the hard work of the members of the 34th Legislature, we are finally here and signing into law the legalization of Cannabis for adults. One streamlined regulatory scheme for both Cannabis for the Office of Marijuana Regulation, entrepreneurship and job creation for Virgin Islands residents, and the creation of a cannabis revenue river to help fund critical Government initiatives and operations are included in the Act.
Commercial cannabis activity is regulated by the legislation that the U.S. Virgin Islands Senate passed. The expungement of past marijuana offenses was one of the measures signed by Bryan. The Virgin Islands Department of Justice can accept applications for a pardon from people convicted of simple possession of marijuana.<>All criminal convictions for the simple possession of marijuana in the Virgin Islands are pardoned by Bryan. About 300 people have been convicted of possessing marijuana in the last two decades.
The production, distribution, and sale of marijuana in the U.S. Virgin Islands is now legal.
The Cannabis Use Act was passed in the last days of the year.
The body-made minorities are not locked out of the industry and have any chance to participate in the area's economic potential. The Virgin Islands have legalized Cannabis for economic reasons. The production, distribution, and sale of Cannabis are regulated by the Cannabis Use Act.