Hawaii lawmakers have shot down one other try at hashish reform, simply weeks after a landmark legalization invoice was killed within the state’s Home of Representatives.
On Monday, a invoice that aimed to develop the state’s hashish decriminalization initiative was rejected by 16 votes to 9, with senators citing issues that it might result in a increase within the black market.
The invoice would have diminished the penalty for anybody caught with a small quantity of hashish. The edge would have been elevated from three grams to an oz. of hashish, and the high quality would have been dropped from $130 to $25.
Democratic Senator Sharon Moriwaki mentioned: “Reducing penalties for unlawful marijuana sends a message to our keiki and neighborhood that this drug is innocent. It’s not.”
Whereas that is the second main legislative blow for hashish reform this month, there have been some causes to be hopeful this week.
A watered-down expungements invoice, which might see the launch of a single-county pilot-programme was authorized by the Home final week.
This invoice, dubbed HB 1595, would have initially seen the state mechanically expunge hundreds of arrest and conviction data for these caught with small quantities of hashish.
Following a Senate Judiciary Committee final month, the invoice was considerably diminished in scope, and the pilot will now solely apply to at least one state and to non-conviction arrest data.
Frank Stiefel, Senior Coverage Affiliate on the Final Prisoner Undertaking, mentioned: “HB 1595 has been amended to replicate the popular method of the Division of the Legal professional Basic. The invoice now outlines the creation of a pilot for the implementation of a state-initiated expungement course of for non-conviction data of hashish possession.
“Our hope is that HB 1595 can be a blueprint for a way Hawai’i can start to supply retroactive reduction to the hundreds of people who proceed to endure the results of getting a legal document for hashish possession, an offense that has been decriminalized since 2019.”
A 3rd invoice, SB 2706, was additionally signed off by senators on Monday, set to create a activity pressure with a remit to create laws for a brand new expungement programme.
