Hawaii's House of Representatives abandons plans to legalize cannabis

Less than 48 hours after Hawaiian lawmakers appeared poised to legalize recreational cannabis, the state House of Representatives put the brakes on the measure, postponing it until at least 2026.

The shift in strategy on Thursday, led by Representative Chris Todd, stunned activists and lawmakers, reigniting frustration over the cannabis reform efforts paused.

Last week, Business of Cannabis a reported that House Bill 1246 (HB 1246), sponsored by Representative David Tarnas, had been approved by two key committees: the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, chaired by Tarnas, and the House Agriculture and Food Systems Committee.

The The bill proposed legalizing the personal use of cannabis for adults aged 21 and older starting in 2026, while establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

It also called for the creation of a new state agency, the Hawaii Office of Cannabis and Hemp, tasked with overseeing medical and recreational cannabis, as well as hemp-derived products. It would also impose a tax on cannabis sales, as is the case throughout the United States.

Although the bill gained momentum earlier this week, passing through two key committees by votes of 6 to 4 and 5 to 0, Todd introduced a rare motion to refer the bill back to committee, which effectively puts it on hold for the year. The motion was adopted by a voice vote without public debate.

«With regard to this bill, it became clear that we did not have enough support to pass it during this session,» Mr. Todd told Civil Beat after the vote. He maintained that lawmakers would revisit the issue next year, but acknowledged that reaching a consensus remained difficult.

The bill remains in effect for the 2026 legislative session without needing to be reintroduced, and a separate Senate bill, SB 1613, is still under consideration.