03-03-2025
Bill to increase legal amount of cannabis possession voted out
(HONOLULU) KHON2 — A measure to increase the legal amount of cannabis a person can possess was struck down during a senate floor vote on Friday, Feb. 28. The legislature received public testimony from state agencies and advocacy groups.'I don't see it as being a solution to the issues that we're facing here,' stated Senator Samantha DeCorte. 'We're trying to get drugs out of our community, not welcome them in here.'
Others in the community who have worked with criminalized individuals said current laws are outdated and the penalties unfair, especially for youth who end up with a criminal record.
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'They call it a gateway drug, but it's also a gateway to jail and a gateway to criminal prosecution and a criminal record,' said David Pullman, Public Defender, 'Those prison cells are limited. That's a cell where someone who is committing violent crime could be and instead we're holding someone who got caught with THC in their urine.'
If passed, the SB319 would have allowed an individual to possess up to 15 grams, three times the current legal limit.
'Fifteen grams is about a pack and a half of joints versus seven or less for three grams,' stated Senator Donovan Dela Cruz. 'It seemed contradictory to some extent, if we're trying to work on a legalization bill, but at the same time, extending this and decriminalizing part of it.'
According to Pullman, 15 grams is a 'ridiculously small amount.'
'The common amount that people buy is called an eighth. 3.5 grams. So the minute someone buys the most common amount of cannabis, they're already over the decriminalization limit. They're already committing a crime,' Pullman added.
Officials stated regulations and guidelines will have to be more thought out when it comes to cannabis.
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'Making sure that it can be at some point consistent with federal law, making sure that we address some people's concerns in the legislature who are anti smoking, but I think every year we get a little bit closer to trying to reconcile and mitigate some of these issues,' said Senator Dela Cruz.
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