A Hawaii Senate-passed bill to legalize marijuana has stalled out in the House for the year—but advocates are shifting focus to 2024, hoping to enact the reform in the second half of the two-year legislative session.
The legislation from Sen. Joy San Buenaventura (D) cleared the Senate earlier this month, and hopes were high that it’d make it through the House as well. But a hearing wasn’t scheduled before a deadline for bills that have been referred to three or more committees, meaning it will need to wait until next year to potentially advance further.
The session hasn’t ended yet, so the bill won’t have to go back to the starting line in the Senate next year. This could also give on-the-fence House lawmakers more time to discuss and refine the legislation, as Speaker Scott Saiki (D) previously said he’d like to do over the summer.
In the Senate, the measure was amended in several important ways that advocates support, including the addition of expungements language. Rep. Jeanne Kapela (D), who sponsored a separate legalization bill that did not advance, said the amended proposal represents an “incredible compromise.”
Still, the inaction in the House comes as a disappointment for advocates who’ve push for expedited passage of the reform in the Democratic-controlled legislature, and with a governor who backs legalization.
“It’s disappointing but not surprising that House leadership has failed to consider moving adult-use cannabis legalization…
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