Hawaii legislators are said to have given up their hopes of legalizing marijuana for adult use this year. They still desire a major expansion of Hawaii’s medical cannabis programs, as well as a crackdown against the illicit drug market.
Jarrett Keohokalole of the State Senate, the chairperson of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee told HawaiiNewsNow that his colleagues are shifting their focus from the recreational use to the reformation and improvement to the medical system. They also hope to implement enforcement measures to drive patients away from gray market CBD shops and towards licensed dispensaries.
In one proposal, the list of medical conditions for which marijuana can be purchased by patients would be removed. Instead, doctors could recommend cannabis to treat any condition they see fit.
Some of the most common maladies that marijuana is used to treat – including anxiety, insomnia and depression – aren’t currently on the list of qualified conditions, HawaiiNewsNow reported. Eliminating the list of restrictive conditions could lead to a surge of medical marijuana patients.
Legislators are also considering the option of opening more dispensaries than the 25 which currently operate in four of the main islands.
A proposal also exists to restart the program for medical caregivers, a possible incentive to lure consumers away from illegal marijuana and back onto the legal cannabis market.
There is not much time before May 2 when the current session ends. However, there are still two bills that could be used to implement these changes. These include House Bills 1482 and 302.