A sweeping bill to legalize adult-use marijuana in Hawaii and bring together hemp and cannabis regulation under a single agency advanced on Tuesday, winning approval from a pair of House committees at a joint hearing.
The measure—HB 1246, from Rep. David Tarnas (D)—was heard at a meeting of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems. The bodies voted 6–4 and 5–0, respectively, to advance the proposal.
"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, who chairs the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, said at the hearing.
He also emphasized that the legislation has "protections against the multi-state operators from coming into Hawaii" in an effort to bolster local businesses instead of creating opportunities for large corporations from elsewhere to dominate the market as has occurred in other states.
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