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State regulators present market study and tighten hemp rules as registry goes live
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Summary
Hawaii regulators told the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee that medical cannabis dispensary rules were updated in late 2025, a hemp retailer registry launched in January 2026, and a market study projects sizeable monthly adult‑use demand while urging caution about how monthly projections are annualized.
State regulators gave lawmakers a rapid briefing on Feb. 17 about recent changes to Hawaii’s medical cannabis and hemp rules, a market‑demand study for adult use and new enforcement tools aimed at unregistered hemp retailers.
Andrew Goff, chief of the Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation, told the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee that Hawaii operates separate regulatory systems for medical cannabis and hemp and that OMCCR’s dispensary rules were updated in November 2025 to allow expanded wholesale inventory and streamline dispensary operations. He said registry rules for providers and patients are being drafted and will move through formal rulemaking.
Goff described Act 269 (2025) as creating a hemp retailer and distributor registration with age gating (21+), civil enforcement tools (fines, embargoes, seizures) and nuisance‑abatement authority. OMCCR launched a hemp retailer registration portal in January 2026 and adopted implementing rules in early February, he said, and the office is coordinating with the Attorney General’s Office and law enforcement on enforcement strategy.
On product standards, Goff said Hawaii permits lower‑potency hemp edibles than many states: 1 milligram of THC per serving and 5 milligrams per container for gummies/tablets, and 0.5 milligrams of THC per 12‑ounce beverage. He warned that some mainland vendors sell higher‑potency or noncompliant products online and that potency/isomer loopholes (derived delta‑8/ delta‑10 products) complicate enforcement.
Dr. Lynn V. Le, OMCCR’s epidemiologist, summarized public‑health concerns and reviewed a market‑demand study by Cannabis Public Policy Consulting. The study estimated current nonmedical adult monthly spending at about $27.6 million (roughly $20 million from residents and $7.6 million from tourists) and modeled higher single‑month spending in future years; Le cautioned legislators not to multiply a single monthly projection by 12 to claim an annual total without adjusting for seasonality. The study also modeled optimal tax outcomes and dispensary counts, and suggested that a comparatively modest tax rate could help the regulated market outcompete illicit suppliers.
Le emphasized public‑health risks cited in recent literature, including associations between adolescent cannabis exposure and increased risk of psychosis, prenatal exposure concerns and rising unintentional pediatric poisonings in jurisdictions with greater availability. She said Hawaii’s most recent youth‑use data remain from 2023 and that targeted evaluation and prevention funding are needed.
The office also discussed outreach: provider information sessions, FAQs and planned patient listening sessions, and described a reference‑lab project in Hilo funded from OMCCR’s special fund to support testing and oversight.
The committee received slides and a pledge to post materials on the committee website.
