Five Marijuana Bills Pass Hawai’i State Senate

March 8, 2011
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Here is an  update on today’s votes in the Hawaii state Senate…

All five cannabis bills passed, with overwhelming support!

  1. SB 1460 – decriminalization of one ounce of marijuana: 24-0-1 (Shimabukuro was excused). It now moves over to the house.
  2. SB 58 – increases plants, dried ounces, patient-caregiver ratio, clarifies transportation language. The bill was waived by the Senate Judiciary Chair, Clayton Hee, which allowed it to move on for a floor vote, and it passed third reading 24-0-1 (Shimabukuro was excused). It now moves to the house.
  3. SB 175 – moves medical marijuana program from Public Safety to Health: 24-1 (Kouchi voted “no”)
  4. SB 1458 – licenses medical marijuana compassion centers, producers and infused products makers. Passed third reading, 24-1 (Slom voted “no”). Moves to house.
  5. SB 113 – creates a 3-year Cannabis research program. Passed third reading with 23 ayes, 23-2 (Slom and Kouchi voted “no”). Moves to house.

Five for five. Can’t do any better than that! Last year the Senate passed three cannabis bills, also by wide margins, so while today is not a complete surprise, it is certainly great news!

(Actually, I see that HB 1085, which would increase the fee, passed the House, with zero “no” votes and moves to the Senate.)

The House will again be the challenge this year. Bills that get referred to three committees will have a tougher time than bills with two referrals.  The head of one important committee, Public Safety & Military Affairs , Henry Aquino, is conservative, and has the power to shut things down by not scheduling hearings (as happened last year with Judiciary chair Karamatsu). A source in Oahu says that they are hopeful hearings will happen.

So, it would certainly be a good idea to start thinking about testimony again…we will be faced with the same short time frame, and we will need everyone to add their voice and opinion to the mix.

Matt Rifkin, born and raised in New York City, and 20-year resident of Tokyo, Japan moved to the Big Island in 2003 to escape the concrete jungles and neon lights. Became interested in cannabis reform when seeing the vast difference between US and Canadian media coverage of the murder of four RCMPs in 2005. Became personally interested in solving the inter-island transportation issue after being threatened with arrest at Kona airport on Christmas Day 2007. Although living in Puna, Matt lives “on the grid” and while not vegan or vegetarian tries to eat non-GMO papaya and organic fruits as often as possible.

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  • http://www.dregstudios.com Brandt

    Marijuana is the safest drug with actual benefits for the user as opposed to alcohol which is dangerous, causes addiction, birth defects, and affects literally every organ in the body. Groups are organizing all over the country to speak their minds on reforming pot laws. I drew up a very cool poster for the cause which you can check out on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/01/vote-teapot-2011.html Drop in and let me know what you think!

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  • Pingback: Hawai’i Senate passes five positive marijuana bills with near unanimity | The NORML Stash Blog

  • ray_christl_thc_ministry_asia

    NOW you can Free Roger Christie and Green 14 ?????

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0

  • Leonard Krivitsky, MD

    Great for Hawaii! It is only a matter of time before the whole country “wakes up” to the remarkable medicinal properties of the cannabis plant, and then we will all wonder as to how could it be possible that we were deceived so much and for so long! Cannabis prohibition is doomed to failure, as it is based on a series of total “un-realities”, which no amount of repression can make “real”. Cannabis is NOT physically addictive as it lacks a documented physical withdrawal syndrome, the so-called “gateway drug theory discredited as invalid, much touted by the DEA drug Marinol is not at all the same as medicinal cannabis, smoking Cannabis does not increase the risk of lung cancer, and cannabis use suppresses violent behavior. These are REALITIES! To further say that Cannabis plant does not have medicinal properties is simply delusional and is a complete “break” with “reality”. If anti-Cannabis repression by the DEA and its allies were to be intensified, the rate of alcohol, cocaine, opiates, other hard drugs, alcohol, and dangerous prescription drugs would increase sharply. Neither the DEA, not its minions can make people perceive Cannabis as “unsafe”, where is in reality it is quite safe, much safer than alcohol and other alternatives. With the rise of the use of alcohol/hard drugs, the amount of violence and mayhem in this society will also rise, something that every mother and wife should consider. In these hard economic times our so-called “representatives” do not even dare talking about cutting the bloated DEA budget, especially its so-called “marijuana” enforcement, while they are willing to discuss cutting everything else. This is because the DEA and its minions are very good with attaching labels, and no one wants to risk being “labeled” as “soft on drugs”! The employment drug tests have a potential of “screening out” “Picassos”, and Lady GaGa’s, and Willie Nelsons, but letting people like Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson slip through (if the employers are “lucky”). And to say that Cannabis Plant does not have medicinal properties is simply delusional! Cannabis prohibition, as based on glaring scientific and philosophical “un-realities” and can never succeed in the long run!

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  • DamianN

    These folks in the House gotta listen to us or we WILL remember come next election. Henry Aquino better not piss on our parade.

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