A bill that would’ve legalized the recreational use of cannabis for adults 21 and older is dead.
Senate Bill 3335 on March 22 squeaked through a second House floor vote 28-23, with three representatives absent. House Finance Chairman Kyle Yamashita, an upcountry Maui Democrat, announced Tuesday he won’t hold a hearing — which would have been the last legislative hurdle for the measure before possibly sending it to Gov. Josh Green for his signature.
Calling the legalization of adult-use cannabis “a deeply divisive issue,” Yamashita said his decision not to hear the legislation was “strengthened by the prevailing ‘no’ votes from committee members expressed on the House floor.”
House Finance Committee members voting “no” included Micah Aiu, David Alcos, Cory Chun, Andrew Garrett, Darius Kila, Vice Chair Lisa Kitagawa, Bertrand Kobayashi, Rachele Lamosao, Scott Nishimoto, Jenna Takenouchi and Gene Ward — 11 members of the 16-member committee.
Rep. Richard Onishi, a Hilo Democrat, was the only Big Island legislator who voted against the measure. Mark Nakashima, a Hamakua Democrat, was absent.
Onishi told the Tribune-Herald last month that predictions of windfalls from marijuana sales and tax revenue are overly optimistic.
“I think the projections from the Department of Taxation are that it will take five years for us to reach the $50 million level,” Onishi said. “And that’s a long time to wait. … If we just wanted to raise revenue, we’d get more by legalizing gambling, not that that’s what we should do.”
Onishi also said he believes the negative health impacts of marijuana should be seen as comparable to those of alcohol, and questioned how much resources other states that have legalized cannabis are spending to address those impacts.
Yamashita noted that the biggest fiscal priority for lawmakers is to “prioritize addressing wildfire-related expenses after the Aug. 8 tragedy in Lahaina and upcountry Maui.”
“As lawmakers, it would be remiss of us not to allocate funding to safeguard critical government services, including education, infrastructure, roads and other essential services for Hawaii’s residents and kupuna, especially during a period of fiscal uncertainty,” Yamashita said.
He added that the present “is not the opportune time” for implementing the legalization of recreational marijuana “as we navigate the challenges of managing the largest wildfire recovery efforts in Hawaii’s history.”
House Speaker Scott Saiki, an urban Honolulu Democrat, noted “overwhelming testimony and serious concerns from members of Hawaii’s law enforcement industry” and concluded the bill “requires further consideration of the impact the legislation will have on our children, economy, and overall well-being.”
The measure, which was introduced by Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, an Oahu Democrat, with Big Island Democratic Sens. Dru Kanuha and Joy San Buenaventura among those signing on as co-sponsors, drew reams of written testimony in opposition from Hawaii’s law enforcers.
Hawaii Police Department Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz cited the Colorado Department of Transportation, which said last year that traffic fatalities had increased more than 51% since 2013. Colorado in 2014 legalized the adult recreational use of marijuana.
“The rise in statewide traffic fatalities has coincided with a rise in instances of traffic fatalities where the drivers have tested positive for THC,” Moszkowicz testified. “The number of traffic fatalities involving drivers who tested positive for marijuana in Colorado rose from 55 deaths in 2013 to 131 deaths in 2020.
“In 2020, 20.1% of all traffic fatalities in Colorado involved a driver who tested positive for marijuana.”
National anti-cannabis lobbying organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action released a statement from Kevin Sabet, a drug policy adviser to Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, hailing Yamashita’s decision not to hold a hearing on the bill.
“Today’s rebuke of the pot profiteers is a huge victory for those fighting against industry’s web of lies that marijuana commercialization is a win for taxpayers, user safety, and even social justice,” Sabet said. “Hawaii’s House members wisely chose the side of science and medical data, and made it clear they aren’t fooled by an industry that puts profits over people. For that, House members should be commended.
“Across the nation, drug commercialization has been a net negative, universally harming public health, increasing youth use, spurring more drugged driving fatalities, and harming minority communities. Commercialization has also increased addiction rates and has served as a catalyst for the illicit market. Those outcomes and more would have been the same in Hawaii.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-heralde.com.