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Senate committees advance SB16-13 after lengthy, sharply divided testimony on adult-use cannabis
Summary
After several hours of public testimony both for and against, the joint HHS–Judiciary committees voted to advance SB16-13 with technical amendments. Supporters said legalization would regulate an existing underground market and protect consumers; opponents warned of youth access, traffic and public-health harms.
The joint committees on Health & Human Services and Judiciary voted to pass SB16-13, an adult‑use cannabis bill, with technical amendments after marathon public testimony that split public-health advocates, law enforcement, industry groups and members of the public.
Proponents argued that recreational cannabis is already widely available in Hawaii and that regulation would protect consumers, clamp down on unlicensed retailers and reduce criminalization. Jacqueline Moore of Big Island Grown told the committee that "recreational is already here" and urged legislation to provide testing and consumer protections. Casey Rothstein, CEO of Green Aloha, said the bill would "regulate the industry" and help protect keiki by creating an enforceable framework.
Opponents raised public-health and safety concerns. Alan Johnson of the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition said legalization would send the wrong message to youth and argued higher-potency products increase risks. Landis Lum, an addiction and family medicine physician, testified that traffic deaths rose after legalization in Colorado and cited studies he said show long-term harms. Multiple speakers from faith groups, law-enforcement-affiliated organizations and parents urged the committee to reject or substantially amend the bill.
Committee members pressed witnesses on data about teen use, traffic fatalities and enforcement costs. Committee discussion noted conflicting research on post‑legalization trends; one witness cited a recent meta‑analysis reporting teen use 13% higher in states that legalized compared with states that did not. Industry and civil‑liberties witnesses, including Nikos Lebrenz of the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii and Carrie Ann Chibota of ACLU Hawaii, countered that prohibition perpetuates racial disparities and that regulated markets can be made safer.
The chair recommended passing SB16-13 with only technical amendments and a defective date to allow further work on implementation details. The committee voted to advance the measure; recorded votes show a mix of ayes and nos across members. The bill will proceed to further legislative consideration with contested amendments expected.
