Mid-2019, Hawaii became the 26th US state to legalize small amounts of marijuana. After this bill became law, Hawaii Governor David Ige noted that decriminalizing the herb does not mean the state is prepared to legalize the recreational use of cannabis.
Under the new law, those caught with marijuana will no longer face a misdemeanor charge, which had been punishable by up to thirty days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Yet, people caught carrying three grams or less of marijuana can still be slapped with a citation carrying a $130 fine, but with no jail time.
According to Truth Theory, Hawaii’s Democrat-controlled legislature approved the bill and sent it to Gov. Ige’s desk in May 2019. The Governor didn't signed it nor vetoed it. Therefore, the bill became law and is going into effect on January 11, 2020.
Before the bill was passed, Ige went “back and forth on decriminalization.” The governor said that one thing he disliked about the bill is that it doesn't include a provision to help young people that want to get into substance abuse programs. Ige said the new law doesn’t mean Hawaii that was the first state to legalize medical marijuana back in 2000, is on the verge of legalizing recreational cannabis.
Ige took a hands-off approach for the decriminalization of marijuana. However, around the same time, he vetoed two other marijuana bills passed by the legislature. He struck down legislation which would have made it legal to transport medical cannabis from island to island, as well as a bill which would have created industrial hemp licensing programs.
COMMENTS