A bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Hawaii died in committee Thursday. But state lawmakers advanced a measure that could decriminalize possession of up to an ounce of the drug.
Patient advocates celebrated the signing of two bills to improve Hawaii’s 13-year-old medical marijuana program – the first updates to pass the legislature since the program began.
A bill that would have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana has died in the House. Legislators earlier killed a marijuana legalization bill.
As SB 472 SD2, a bill to decriminalize marijuana, was unanimously approved by the Hawaii Senate, and two bills to improve Hawaii’s medical marijuana program are poised for passage in the House, Hawaii advocates have announced the launch of two statewide coalitions to reform local marijuana laws.
A bill that would have legalized marijuana died in the state legislature Tuesday. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Karl Rhoads told the Associated Press he decided to kill it after a head count found the bill would come up short in the House.