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View all Cannabis and cannabinoids in Hawaii
News analysis
Global business and regulatory news covering the cannabis industry
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Daily news alerts
Daily regulatory updates of legal changes in the cannabis sector, including monthly compilations
21st November 2023
US - Hawaii: Hawaii attorney general Anne Lopez has issued a comprehensive plan to legalise recreational cannabis in the state, press reports. The plan would impose a 10% sales tax on recreational cannabis and include social equity provisions to allow opportunities to operators in the illicit market to enter the new legal market. Lopez proposes that legal sales should begin within 18 months, a timeline that many legislators reportedly consider reasonable.13th July 2023
US - Hawaii: House Bill 1359 has been enacted into law as Act 263, without the governor’s signature, bringing significant changes to the state’s hemp regulations. The bill eliminates redundant regulations on hemp production, updates advertising restrictions for hemp products, and permits licensed hemp producers to sell hemp biomass, including crude extract. The Department of Health is now empowered to establish cannabinoid concentration limits, including THC, for manufactured hemp products and crude extract through rulemaking. Additionally, the new law establishes the Hawaii Hemp Task Force.
26th June 2023
- US - Hawaii: House Bill 1082 has been signed and enacted into law by governor Josh Green. It allows a patient’s written certification to be valid for three years instead of the current one-year limit, amends the rulemaking authority for medical dispensary-to-dispensary sales, and allows a selling dispensary to transport amounts of more than 800 oz of cannabis or manufactured cannabis products with prior approval of the Department of Health. It also amends the dispensary licensing fee structure. Additionally, the bill adds requirements for the dispensary programme on signage, packaging, security requirements, restrictions on waiting rooms, and clarifies permitted types of manufactured cannabis products and penalties for violations of the dispensary law.
5th May 2023
- US – Hawaii: House Bill 1359 has been passed by the Senate and now heads to the governor’s desk. The bill would amend the state’s hemp laws in various ways, including repealing redundant regulations on hemp production, revising advertising restrictions on hemp products, and specifically allowing licensed hemp producers to sell hemp biomass, now defined to include crude extract. Additionally, the bill allows the Department of Health, via rulemaking, to establish cannabinoid (including THC) concentration limits for manufactured hemp products and crude extract.
4th May 2023
- US - Hawaii: House Bill 1082, on medical cannabis regulation, has been passed by the State Legislature and now heads to the governor’s desk. It would allow a patient’s written certification to be valid for three years instead of the current one-year limit, amend the rulemaking authority for dispensary-to-dispensary sales, and allow a selling dispensary to transport an amount other than 800 oz of cannabis or manufactured cannabis products with prior approval of the Department of Health. It also amends the dispensary programme licensing fee structure. Additionally, the bill adds requirements for the dispensary programme on signage, packaging, security requirements, restrictions on waiting rooms, and clarifies permitted types of manufactured cannabis products and penalties for violations of the dispensary law.
14th April 2023
- US - Hawaii: During her confirmation hearing before the state senate, attorney general-nominee Anne Lopez said that her office would not oppose recreational cannabis legalisation and would in fact establish an administration task force to draft legislation to be presented during next year's legislative session, press reports. Lopez, as well as previous administrations of Hawaii's Attorney General's Office, had previously opposed recreational cannabis legalisation. Lopez is expected to be confirmed by the Senate.
9th March 2023
- US - Hawaii: Senate Bill (SB) 516 has passed the Senate and now moves to the House. HB 516 would require that the identity statement used for the labelling or advertising of hemp products specifically identifies the percentage of Hawaii-grown hemp and hemp of other origins contained in any hemp products.
9th March 2023
- US - Hawaii: Senate Bill (SB) 655 has passed the Senate and now moves to the House. HB 655 would allow the Department of Agriculture to align state hemp production administrative rules with federal law, with regard to exemptions for fibre, fuel, and seed grain hemp crops.
8th March 2023
US - Hawaii: House Bill 70, which has passed the House and now moves to the Senate, would prohibit the sale or holding, offering, and distribution of hemp products that contain cannabinoids created through isomerisation (including delta-6 cis or trans THC and their optical isomers) or into which a synthetic cannabinoid has been added. However, it exempts medical cannabis dispensaries from the prohibition.
8th March 2023
US - Hawaii: Senate Bill 669 has passed the Senate and now moves to the House. It would establish a Hawaii Cannabis Regulatory Authority, allow over-21s to grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use and personal possession of up to 1 oz, establish a 10% tax on cannabis sales, and attempt to reduce unlicensed sales.
8th March 2023
US - Hawaii: Senate Bill 673 has passed the Senate and now moves to the House. It would authorise specified health care facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis under certain conditions.
Regulatory reports
Comprehensive legal reports outlining how the sector is regulated, interpretation of the laws and relevant bodies
Regulatory databases
Regularly updated global regulations currently in place, compiled into easy-to-read maps and tables
