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Two Hawaii House of Representatives legislative committees on Tuesday approved a bill to legalize recreational cannabis at a joint legislative hearing on the proposal. The measure, HB 1246 from Democratic Rep. David Tarnas, would also bring the regulation of hemp, medical marijuana and recreational cannabis under one new state agency, the Hawaii Cannabis and Hemp Office.
“This is a one-plant approach so that it would under this office regulate medical cannabis, adult-use cannabis and hemp products that are for consumption or use on the skin by humans. It would not include industrial hemp for construction or for cloth,” Tarnas said at Tuesday’s hearing.
The Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems both voted to advance the bill, by a vote of 6–4 and 5–0, respectively. A companion measure, SB 1613, is pending in the Hawaii Senate.
Bill Legalizes Recreational Weed In Hawaii
If passed by the legislature and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Josh Green, the bill would legalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and up to five grams of cannabis concentrates for adults aged 21 and older, beginning on January 1, 2026. The legislation also legalizes the limited home cultivation of cannabis plants for personal use, online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment reported on Tuesday.
Tarnas, the chair the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, noted that the legislation includes “protections against the multi-state operators from coming into Hawaii” so that local businesses reap the economic benefits of legalization.
“The bill includes a five-year residency requirement, which will limit who can be licensed and prevent these out-of-state corporations from obtaining licenses,” Tarnas said.
The legislation notes that the states that have legalized recreational cannabis “have witnessed substantial benefits from the revenue generated through taxes, including use and licensing fees, as well as general excise and sales taxes on the non-medical adult-use cannabis industry,” according to a report from Honolulu Civil Beat.
Bill Establishes New Hawaii Hemp And Cannabis Office
The bill also establishes the Hawaii Cannabis and Hemp Office as the regulatory authority for hemp, medical cannabis and recreational marijuana. The new agency would be part of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and operate with a mandate to prioritize public health and safety.
The Cannabis and Hemp Office would be tasked with developing regulations to govern the cannabis and hemp industry. The agency would also register medical cannabis patients, license cannabis and hemp businesses and establish a seed-to-sale tracking system for marijuana products. Interim rules for the cannabis and hemp program would be due by the end of the year, with final rules to be approved by December 31, 2030.
Sales of recreational cannabis would be assessed a tax rate of 14%. The current tax of 4% on medical marijuana purchases would remain in effect.
Opinion On Cannabis Legalization Bill Is Mixed
Before Tuesday’s hearing, the lawmakers that comprise the legislative committees received more than 300 pages of testimony about the proposal from state and local agencies, advocacy groups and members of the public. Before Tuesday’s vote, Tarnas acknowledged that opinions on the bill are divided.
“We have received testimony—95 in support, 135 in opposition and comments from 11,” he said. “So you can tell, this is really in many ways a divisive issue. It’s got people with strong feelings on both sides.”
HB 1246 faces consideration by the House Finance Committee and the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee before it can be referred to the full chamber for a vote.
Last year, the Hawaii Senate passed a bill to legalize recreational cannabis, but the measure failed to gain approval in the state House of Representatives. Nikos Leverenz, board president of Drug Policy Forum of Hawaiʻi, says that “This year’s legislation is a significant improvement over last year’s bill.”
In an email, Leverenz writes that the measure “provides for craft cannabis licenses, social equity licenses, and grants to help support investment in Hawaii communities that include youth programs. Afterschool programs, for example, are an effective means to help prevent the use of alcohol and other drugs as well as violence. Far too many are still harmed by criminalization, particularly those who are Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander. Cannabis criminalization also contributes to Hawaii having the longest average term of probation in the nation.”
“}]] Two Hawaii legislative committees on Tuesday approved a bill to legalize recreational weed and establish one agency to regulate medical and adult-use cannabis and hemp. Read More
