In some ways, the State Capitol of Hawaii is the most unpredictable state capital in the United States.
Sen. Brenton Awa, a Republican, changed his mind over a plan to legalise marijuana in Hawaii twice on Thursday during a joint hearing.
Awa has voiced his approval of a legal marijuana market. True enough, he was instrumental in the introduction of Senate Bill 375. Legalized pakalolo sales from dispensaries would be made possible by this bill.
One of the two Republicans in the Senate, Awa, voted both for and against the legislation when it was considered by the Commerce and Consumer Protection and Human Services committees.
The first committee to speak was the Human Services Committee. Both Senators Henry Aquino and Joy San Buenaventura voted yes (Aquino officially voted “with concerns,” but this is still considered a yes vote). A negative vote was cast by Awa. Senators Maile Shimabukuro and Sharon Moriwaki, the other two members of the committee, were not present. The committee vote was 2 to 1.
The vote in the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, however, changed everything. Jarrett Keohokalole and Carol Fukunaga, both Senators, voted in favour. Senators Angus McKelvey and Herbert “Tim” Richards did not cast votes.
There was a little silence while Awa thought. With his “no,” the vote would be deadlocked, increasing the likelihood that the bill will not pass by a crucial legislative deadline on Friday.
That man voted “yes.” There were 3 yes votes and 1 no vote on the bill.
Awa said in an interview, “It was on the spot, I don’t want this to die.”
Awa said he favours legalising pot for adults, but not under SB 375’s current proposals. After hearing testimony on the bill, he is concerned that the present version unfairly benefits large dispensaries at the expense of independent farmers.
It’s the dispensaries that are causing all the trouble. I don’t know who could afford it if you went inside a dispensary,” Awa added. When marijuana is legalised, I believe that growers like myself should be permitted to market their products. “No, I have to visit a dispensary, apply for a licence, and handle all this administrative red tape.”
At first, he planned to vote against SB 375, but then he realised the bill wouldn’t pass without his vote. He was trying to keep it alive so that provisions he does agree with could be inserted into it at a later date.
He stated his support for legislation similar to Senate Bill 1043, which would have decriminalised and legalised marijuana without the regulatory framework that would have required licenced dispensaries. Awa does not think there is enough support for such a law in the Senate, which is why the bill was never given a hearing.
The purpose of the Hawaii Cannabis Authority, established by Senate Bill 375, is to control the distribution of legal marijuana in the state. A dispensary licencing application period would open on January 31, 2025, and guidelines would need to be finalised by December 1, 2024. The regulatory body could decide what standards dispensary licence applicants must meet. To become law, the state’s Department of Health would have to adopt it.
Josh Green, the governor, has publicly stated his approval of pot legalisation. But, in its written evidence, the state health department expressed public health issues, such as the safety of packaging and the potentially detrimental side effects on the mental health of kids.
Many local dispensaries, including Aloha Green Holdings, Noa Botanicals, and Green Aloha, voted in favour of the bill. Many, however, have voiced their support for Senate Bill 669’s proposed simpler regulatory framework.
The bill was opposed by small-scale growers and the groups that represent them.
Mark Barnett, executive chair of the Maine Craft Cannabis Association, told senators that the group believes it is a mistake to link legalisation and commercialization.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold another joint hearing on SB 375 at some point in the future.
Senate Bill 669, the other legalisation bill in the Senate, has passed its first committee and is now waiting to be heard in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The Senate is widely anticipated to approve a bill that would legalise marijuana. In the Senate, marijuana legalisation for 2021 was approved, but the House bill never made it out of committee.
