Hawaii decriminalizes possession of small amounts of cannabis

Hawaii decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis on Tuesday. The law will come into force on January 11, 2020, and means that anyone possessing up to three grams of cannabis will only face a $130 fine. Currently, possession of cannabis (even in small quantities) is punishable by 30 days in prison and a $1,000 fine.

The enactment of the law was not due to the efforts of Democratic Governor David Ige. He maintains a firm opposition to legalization, and when the bill was proposed to the legislature, he did not sign it, contenting himself with not vetoing it and preferring to concede the decriminalization of small quantities rather than risk another less advantageous bill. He pointed out that letting this project go through had been « a difficult decision« but that «the amount [allowed] was very small, if you talk to law enforcement personnel». The legalization of recreational cannabis had failed in March 2019 following its mobilization.

Hawaii's cautious stance on cannabis remains surprising, however, since the state legalized medical cannabis in 2000, only 4 years after California, where recreational cannabis legal since 2018. We had to wait until 2017 for the archipelago's first dispensary opens its doors shortly after the first harvest of medical cannabis.

Groups campaigning for legalization have welcomed the new law, although many regret that the archipelago has not gone further. The group Marijuana Policy Project points out that three grams is the smallest amount ever authorized by an American state, and that the fine incurred remains high in relation to the small quantity. In the United States, some twenty states have already decriminalized or legalized cannabis, including the capital, Washington, and several northern states. like Vermont or Massachusetts.