Hawaii
Hawaii Cannabis Business Licenses
WHAT IS HAWAII’S CURRENT CANNABIS MARKET STATUS?
Content Below Last Updated by Point7 04/06/2022
In January of 2022, Hawai’i Legislature kicked off its 2022 session. In 2021 several legalization bills were proposed in both the House and Senate - with one passing the Senate. In 2022, all bills remain in play for this session.
Three legalization measures were introduced in January 2021: Senate Bill 767, Senate Bill 704, and Senate Bill 1376. SB 767 passed the Senate with a 20-5 vote, but the measure would not have become effective until the year 2137. SB 1376 and SB 704 did not receive a hearing or a full vote from the Senate in 2021. All three measures have been carried over to 2022.
In the House, multiple bills were introduced including House Bill 1202, House Bill 238 and House Bill 7. None of these bills received a public hearing or vote, but are still currently active in 2022 legislation.
According to a recent Civiqs research poll, 73% of Hawaiian residents support legalization of cannabis.
WHAT ARE HAWAII’S CANNABIS LAWS?
Since 2000, medical cannabis has been legal in the state of Hawaii. In 2015, the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program of Hawaii was created requiring those who qualify for medical cannabis to register before using cannabis for medical purposes. This program regulated who received cannabis cards and ensured the legal use of medical cannabis.
Legislation in 2015 - specifically Act 241 - laid the groundwork for individuals to apply for medical dispensary licenses in Hawaii and open their doors in 2016.
As of January 2020, Hawaii decriminalized cannabis possession of three grams or less punishable by a $130 fine. In 2021, the Hawaii Senate approved a bill 24-1 to improve the decriminalization law by increasing the possession threshold from three grams to one ounce, but unfortunately it failed to pass a House committee deadline on March 18, 2021. This bill, SB 758, will be picked up where it was left off in the 2022 session.
WHAT IS HAWAII’S CANNABIS LICENSING TIMELINE & CANNABIS APPLICATION PROCESS?
The Hawaii Department of Health is not currently accepting new applications for medical cannabis dispensary licenses. All current dispensaries are operating under licenses granted in 2016.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF CANNABIS IN HAWAII?
In 2000, Hawaiian governor Ben Cayetano signed into law Act 228, allowing medical cannabis patients or their caretakers to grow their own cannabis. However, the law did not establish any legal market or dispensaries. In 2015, the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program of Hawaii was created to require those who qualify for medical cannabis to register before using cannabis for medical purposes. This program regulated who received cannabis cards and ensured the legal use of medical cannabis. After Act 241 was passed in 2015, medical dispensaries slowly opened up around Hawaii in 2016. In the same year, Senate Bill 321 established a dispensary system which allowed eight medical cannabis dispensaries in Hawaii, which differed by island. In 2017, the first dispensary in Hawaii opened in Maui.On July 10, 2018, Governor Ige signed HB 2729 — a reciprocity bill — into law. The law allows patients who are registered in other medical marijuana states to use medical cannabis when they visit Hawaii. In July of 2019, a decriminalization bill was passed which made possession of three grams or less of marijuana punishable by a $130 fine, under the prior law the punishment was up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. In 2021, the Hawaii Senate approved a bill 24-1 to improve the decriminalization law by increasing the possession threshold from three grams to one ounce, but unfortunately it failed to pass a House committee deadline on March 18, 2021. Recreational cannabis is still illegal in the state of Hawaii.
DOES HAWAII HAVE A HEMP PROGRAM?
Coming Soon!