Aloha! Cannabis is legal in Hawaii

Hawaii has become the 26th state to legalize recreational cannabis. This is a huge step forward in the cannabis community all around. The House committee in Hawaii advanced the bill that would legalize and regulate adult-use marijuana in the state. One amendment concerning labor peace agreement for cannabis businesses before signing off on the legislation. It was voted 7–3 on Tuesday to advance the proposal, SB 3335, which would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and up to five grams of cannabis concentrates. It proceeds to the House Finance Committee.

The bill proposal was about 300 pages. This is based on a legalization plan written by state Attorney General Anne Lopez. She was appointed by the governor to oversee this proposal since december. Since The Senate passing the bill eairler this month, In recent weeks, it’s been making its way through the House. Before approving the bill, the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee added an amendment requiring marijuana businesses to have labor peace agreements with labor unions.

Last week, two panels at a joint hearing made a number of amendments to the bill. For example, one change reduced the proposed penalty for selling cannabis to a minor from a felony to a misdemeanor. This is mirroring the state’s current statue around alcohol sales. Another would allow caregivers to administer nonsmokeable medical marijuana to a minor on school grounds or in a vehicle.

Other changes clarified that colleges and universities may allow cannabis use by faculty and adult students. Prevent landlords from banning consumption of non-inhaled marijuana in private rental units.Amended rules around open packages of cannabis in vehicles. Replaced references to paraphernalia with references to accessories. This made various clean-up adjustments to the language of the bill, according to a report from the two committees.

Here are the key provisions of the bill SB3335:

• The proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis and up to five grams of concentrates as of January 1, 2026.
• Home cultivation would be legal, with adults allowed to grow up to six plants and keep as much as 10 ounces of resulting marijuana.
• The measures would create the Hawaii Hemp and Cannabis Authority to license and regulate adult-use cannabis businesses.
• Cultivators, processors, medical dispensaries, adult-use retailers, craft dispensaries and independent testing laboratories would be licensed under the plan, with regulators able to adopt rules around special events, social consumption and other special use cases.
• Adult-use cannabis products would be taxed at 14 percent, while medical cannabis would be subject to a 4 percent tax. Industrial hemp would continue to fall under the state’s general sales tax.
• Tax revenue from marijuana sales would be divided between a law enforcement-focused fund and another that would promote “cannabis social equity, public health and education, and public safety.”
• People with past felony convictions for cannabis would be eligible to be licensed or work in the legal cannabis industry after 10 years from the end of their incarceration, parole or supervised release.
• The mere use of cannabis would not be grounds for revoking parental custody, preventing parole or probation or withholding state benefits or entitlements.
• Driving under the influence of cannabis would remain illegal, with the bill setting a legal limit of 10 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood.

This is a great step forward for the cannabis community as a whole which is very exciting for everyone. More and more states are starting to realize that cannabis can be used recreationally. Giving the states to act responsible and opening up a whole new market for jobs and opportunities alike!