Yesterday was a great day for cannabis law reform in Hawaii. The state’s House Judiciary Committee approved a measure that would decriminalize small amounts of cannabis, sending it towards a full House vote. This comes just days after the state’s Senate voted unanimously to approve the measure. The committee did make two amendments, to lower the established ticket from $1,000 to $100 (where it was when the bill was first introduced), and lowering the possession limit from 1 ounce (28 grams), to 20 grams. This is according to the Associated Press.

On the same day, HB 154 HD2, a measure in the state to establish a two year industrial hemp research program that would examine hemp’s effectiveness in phytoremediation and bio-fuel, passed through two Senate committees unanimously, sending it to the full Senate. The state’s Senate Committee on Agriculture approved the bill by a vote of 7-0 vote, shortly before the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment recommended the bill’s passage 5-0. The state’s House voted unanimously on the measure a couple weeks back.

Polling shows that 58% in the state support decriminalizing cannabis, and 57% support its regulation and taxation.

– TheJointBlog