Hawai'i 2024 Cannabis Bills

Hawai'i 2024 Cannabis Bills

Hawai’i lawmakers have filed several cannabis policy reform bills in 2024, including legalization and regulation, expungement, improving the state’s decriminalization law, and revising the medical program. 

Here are some key bills:

SB 3335, SD 2 — legalization and regulation

Sponsor: Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, but the introduced language was drafted by the office of the Attorney General

Summary: SB 3335 would legalize the possession, home cultivation, and regulated production and sale of cannabis in Hawai’i for adults 21 and older. The bill was revised in committees and the version headed to the Senate floor is SD 2. A far more extensive summary of the bill is available here.

Coalition position: While we strongly support legalization, we urge additional revisions to the bill, which is overly punitive and does not include a strong enough focus on equity. Hawai’i should take an approach to cannabis legalization that focuses far more on education, reinvesting in communities, reparative justice, and building an equitable and inclusive industry — and avoids ramping up law enforcement and criminalizing innocuous behavior. 

Weigh-in: You can use this form to write your lawmakers and ask them to support legalization that is rooted in justice and equity.  

HB 1595 — cannabis expungement

Sponsor: Rep. David Tarnas

Summary: HB 1595 would provide for state-initiated expungement of simple cannabis possession records, and other Schedule V substances.

Signaling that the language is a work-in-progress, the effective date is currently 3000.

Coalition position: Support

HB 1596 — improving Hawaii’s cannabis decriminalization law

Sponsor: Rep. David Tarnas

Summary: HB 1596 would:

  • increase the “decriminalized” amount from three grams to one ounce
  • reduce the fine from $130 to $25
  • remove penalties for paraphernalia for the use or storage of cannabis
  • increase the age at which felony penalties are imposed for transferring cannabis paraphernalia to minors from 18 to 21

Signaling that the language is a work-in-progress, the effective date is currently 3000.

Coalition position: Support

SB 2487 — improving Hawaii’s cannabis decriminalization law

Sponsor: Sen. Joy San Buenaventura

Summary: As amended in Senate Judiciary, SB 2487 would increase the “decriminalized” amount from three grams to 15 grams.

Coalition position: Support, but prefer the stronger language of HB 1596

Clean Slate

In addition, companion Clean Slate bills — SB 2706 and HB 1663 — were proposed to automatically expunge both misdemeanor and felony records (including cannabis records) starting December 1, 2026, after certain amounts of time passed. They were amended to instead create task forces on the issue.

Medical Cannabis

There are also several bills pending to revise the medical cannabis program, including:

  • HB 2443 and SB 3132, which repeal the sunset date of the authorization for primary caregivers to cultivate medical cannabis for qualifying patients.
  • HB 2247, which extends the date after which primary caregivers will no longer be authorized to cultivate cannabis for a qualifying patient to Dec. 31, 2026.
  • SB 3278, which would revise the medical cannabis program, including to:
    • allow certifying medical practitioners to recommend cannabis for any medical condition they believe is appropriate
    • allow practitioners to authorize greater quantities of medical cannabis
    • allow out-of-state patients authorized in their home jurisdiction to qualify without jumping through hoops in Hawaii
    • allow caregivers to assist up to 10 patients at a time.
  • HB 1952, which authorizes a medical cannabis dispensary to purchase cannabis and manufactured cannabis products from another dispensary.
  • SB 2241, which requires each cannabis dispensary to enter into a labor peace agreement that bans the labor organization from engaging in picketing, work stoppages, or boycotts against the dispensary.
  • SB 444, which authorizes dispensaries to distribute medical cannabis cuttings to individuals who are allowed to cultivate medical cannabis.
  • HB 2445, which requires the Department of Health to implement a post-market testing program to verify the labeling on cannabis and manufactured cannabis products and monitor the shelf lives of cannabis and manufactured cannabis products.
  • SB 2118, which authorizes the Department of Health to approve curbside pickup of medical cannabis subject to rules.
  • SB 2248, which authorizes qualifying patients and qualifying out-of-state patients to transport cannabis between islands of the State for personal medical use.

You can look up the text of these bills on the Hawai’i State Legislature website. You can also use the legislature’s website to look up your lawmakers’ contact information, sign up for notifications on bills you care about, submit written testimony (if a hearing is scheduled), sign up to testify, and read others’ testimony.