When you’re planning a tropical escape and questioning, “Is weed authorized in Hawaii?” Right here’s your reply: Right here’s your reply: sure, for medical functions and never but for leisure use, however the tides could also be shifting quickly.
Hawaii has one of the crucial progressive medical hashish applications within the nation, however adult-use hashish stays unlawful as of 2025. Nonetheless, new payments are making their manner via the state legislature, and Governor Josh Inexperienced has voiced assist for reform.
“I feel for adults who can responsibly use marijuana, it ought to be authorized,” stated the Governor.
Let’s break down Hawaii’s present hashish legal guidelines, the place issues stand in the present day, and what you might want to know as a customer or resident.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Gov. Josh Inexperienced helps adult-use legalization.
- Hawaii has the oldest “medical solely” hashish program within the U.S.
- Leisure use stays unlawful in Hawaii.
- Dispensaries serve registered sufferers throughout 4 islands.
- Delta-8 THC is banned. THCA and CBD are authorized underneath tight guidelines.
- Payments like HB 1246 and SB 1613 might legalize weed within the close to future.
Is Marijuana Authorized in Hawaii?
Sure, marijuana is authorized in Hawaii, however it depends upon the sort you’re speaking about.
Medical Marijuana: Authorized
Medical marijuana has been authorized in Hawaii since 2000. The state was the primary within the U.S. to legalize medical hashish via laws as a substitute of a public vote.
Sufferers with a qualifying situation are allowed to use for a 329 medical hashish card and purchase merchandise from licensed dispensaries throughout the islands. This system is run by the Division of Well being.
Leisure Marijuana: Nonetheless Unlawful
Leisure weed just isn’t authorized in Hawaii as of 2025. Nonetheless, small quantities are decriminalized. When you’re caught with three grams or much less, it’s thought-about a petty misdemeanor, normally leading to a effective and never jail time.
Two payments—SB 1613 and HB 1246—have been launched to legalize leisure marijuana beginning in 2026.
- SB 1613 requires a Hashish and Hemp Workplace and new taxes on gross sales.
- HB 1246 is a 300 pages plan to create a authorized adult-use market, together with guidelines for gross sales, licenses, and social fairness.
Each payments stalled within the 2025 legislative session and are up for additional deliberations in 2026. With Governor Josh Inexperienced supporting legalization, new proposals are anticipated within the close to future.
A side-by-side desk evaluating Medical Marijuana vs. Leisure Marijuana:
Characteristic | Medical Marijuana | Leisure Marijuana |
---|---|---|
Authorized Standing | Authorized since 2000 | Nonetheless Unlawful (2025) |
Who Can Use It? | Sufferers with qualifying circumstances | Not allowed |
ID Wanted? | 329 Medical Card | Not relevant |
The place to Purchase | Licensed dispensaries | Nowhere (unlawful to promote) |
Quantity Allowed | Varies (depends upon the affected person) | 3 grams or much less = effective solely |
Rising at Residence? | Sure, as much as 10 vegetation for sufferers or their caregivers | Not allowed |
Hawaii’s Hashish Legal guidelines for Vacationers
Hawaii is likely to be the last word trip spot, however don’t count on weed to be a part of the welcome bundle. Whereas medical marijuana is allowed, entry is restricted and tightly regulated for guests.

When you’re a customer with a sound out-of-state medical marijuana card, you’ll be able to apply for a short lived Hawaii 329 card. This lets you legally purchase hashish from Hawaii’s licensed dispensaries throughout your keep. The cardboard is legitimate for as much as 60 days and could be utilized on-line via the Hawaii Division of Well being.
However, and it is a huge one, leisure weed remains to be unlawful for everybody, together with vacationers from states the place weed is absolutely authorized. Which means:
- No smoking on seashores, resort balconies, or parks.
- No transporting marijuana into or out of Hawaii, even when it’s authorized in your house state. Crossing state traces with hashish is a federal offense.
So sure, Hawaii welcomes medical hashish sufferers. However for those who’re simply right here to chill out and hoping to toke, the regulation says not-so-fast.
What Are the Penalties for Marijuana Possession in Hawaii?
Whereas Hawaii has taken steps to ease penalties for minor hashish possession, marijuana remains to be unlawful for leisure use, and the regulation comes with clear limits and penalties.
Small Quantities: Decriminalized
When you’re caught with three grams or much less, it’s thought-about a petty misdemeanor. You gained’t face jail time, however you’ll be fined $130. There’s no felony report, however repeat offenses might draw extra critical consideration from regulation enforcement.
This transfer towards decriminalization was made in 2019, making Hawaii one in every of a number of states to shift away from harsh penalties for low-level hashish use.
Bigger Quantities: Nonetheless Legal
Possession of greater than three grams remains to be a felony offense underneath Hawaii regulation. Penalties improve primarily based on the quantity:
Quantity Possessed | Offense Sort | Penalty |
---|---|---|
Greater than 3g – 1 oz | Misdemeanor | As much as 30 days in jail + $1,000 effective |
Greater than 1 oz – 1 lb | Misdemeanor | As much as 1 yr in jail + $2,000 effective |
Over 1 lb | Class C Felony | As much as 5 years in jail + $10,000 effective |
Any quantity close to a college/park | Enhanced penalty | Might face further prices and jail time |
Intent to Distribute = Felony
When you’re discovered with packaging supplies, giant sums of money, or portions that counsel distribution, you can be charged with a felony offense for Intent to Distribute. This warrants a Class B or Class C felony, relying on the substance and amount.
Is Medical Weed Authorized in Hawaii?
Sure, medical marijuana is authorized in Hawaii, and the state has one of many extra established and tightly regulated medical hashish applications within the U.S.
Program overview
Hawaii legalized medical hashish in 2000, turning into the primary state to take action through state legislature slightly than a public vote. This system is overseen by the Hawaii Division of Well being (DOH) and continues to develop with up to date guidelines for monitoring, entry, and affected person eligibility.
Who qualifies for medical marijuana in Hawaii?
To qualify for MMJ in Hawaii, one should be recognized with a number of qualifying medical circumstances, together with:
- Most cancers
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- PTSD
- Power ache
- Extreme nausea
- Epilepsy, MS, and different persistent or debilitating circumstances
Physicians may additionally advocate hashish on a case-by-case foundation for circumstances not explicitly listed, relying on medical judgment.
How does the MMJ program in Hawaii work?

Sufferers want a sound 329 Medical Hashish Card to entry dispensaries and develop hashish legally. To get one, they need to:
- Be licensed by a licensed doctor or APRN in Hawaii.
- Submit an internet utility to the Division of Well being.
- Pay a charge and anticipate approval (normally inside 2–3 weeks).
Cardholders can:
- Purchase from state-licensed dispensaries
- Possesses as much as 4 ounces of usable hashish
- Develop as much as 10 vegetation, offered they register a single develop website
Dispensary Entry
Hawaii at the moment licenses eight dispensary operators with retail places in Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Large Island. Merchandise obtainable embody flower, tinctures, capsules, and concentrates. Edibles aren’t allowed underneath present regulation.
Latest Updates (2025)
The state rolled out a number of reforms, together with:
- Interim guidelines for seed-to-sale monitoring
- Enhanced product testing and labeling requirements
- Expanded choices for out-of-state sufferers (non permanent 329 card)
- A proposal to permit doctor discretion for qualifying circumstances, just like different progressive medical states
Hawaii’s medical hashish program is stable and patient-centered, however extra conservative in comparison with its mainland neighbors like California or Oregon. Whereas Hawaii presents authorized safety, dispensary entry, and residential cultivation, it lacks perks like edibles, leisure entry, or wide-ranging qualifying circumstances.
Nonetheless, this system is evolving, with reforms underway to simplify entry, develop affected person protections, and probably pave the best way for broader legalization within the close to future.
Does Hawaii Have Weed Dispensaries?
Sure. Hawaii opened its first licensed medical marijuana dispensary in 2017. As we speak, there are eight licensed dispensary operators with places throughout Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Large Island. These dispensaries have a couple of dishing out location, making it simple to entry dispensaries close to me in Hawaii.
Dispensaries, comparable to Aloha Inexperienced, Treatment Oahu, Maui Grown Therapies, and Large Island Grown, serve registered sufferers and provide a wide range of medical hashish merchandise, together with flower, tinctures, capsules, and concentrates.
The dispensaries are regulated by the Division of Commerce and Client Affairs in partnership with the Division of Well being, making certain all merchandise meet high quality and security requirements.
Is THCA Authorized in Hawaii?
THCA, derived from hemp and containing lower than 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight, is authorized in Hawaii. However the authorized grey space is actual.
Some merchandise marketed as THCA flower exceed authorized THC thresholds when heated. As of now, there’s no clear enforcement technique for THCA in Hawaii, however it could quickly fall underneath broader state regulation through the Hashish and Hemp Workplace, created in 2024.
Is Delta 8 THC Authorized in Hawaii?
As of now, Delta 8 THC just isn’t authorized on the market in Hawaii, although you’ll be able to simply entry Delta-8 merchandise on the streets of Honolulu. In early 2022, the state handed laws banning the manufacture, sale, and distribution of Delta-8 THC and different synthetically derived cannabinoids, comparable to Delta-10 and THC-O.
Hawaii’s resolution was primarily based on considerations in regards to the lack of clear regulatory oversight for these compounds. Since many Delta-8 merchandise are made via chemical conversion processes, the state opted for a cautious method, prioritizing client security and product consistency.
Whereas the regulation at the moment restricts entry to Delta-8 inside Hawaii, this will evolve as extra states develop complete cannabinoid laws. For now, residents and guests ought to follow state-approved hashish or hemp-derived CBD merchandise that meet Hawaii’s authorized requirements.
Is CBD Authorized in Hawaii?
Sure, CBD is authorized in Hawaii, however with caveats.
CBD merchandise are authorized in the event that they’re hemp-derived and comprise lower than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. Nonetheless, Hawaii doesn’t permit CBD to be added to meals, drinks, or cosmetics as per the state Division of Well being guidelines.
CBD firms working in Hawaii should be registered and are topic to licensing charges and oversight.
Find out how to Develop Hashish Legally in Hawaii?
Sure, you’ll be able to develop hashish at dwelling in Hawaii for those who’re a registered medical marijuana affected person. Leisure customers aren’t allowed to develop hashish underneath present state regulation.
Residence Cultivation Guidelines for Medical Hashish Sufferers

When you have a sound 329 medical hashish card, Hawaii regulation means that you can develop your individual marijuana underneath the next pointers:
- As much as 10 vegetation per affected person are allowed, no matter maturity stage (seedlings and flowering vegetation depend towards the entire).
- Crops could be grown indoors or outdoor so long as they’re safe and never seen to the general public.
- All hashish vegetation should be tagged with the affected person’s 329 card quantity and registered with the Division of Well being.
- You may register just one develop website, which should be listed in your 329 utility.
- When you’re a caregiver rising hashish on behalf of a affected person, you should be registered and accredited as a caregiver by the state.
Further Notes
- Promoting homegrown hashish is strictly prohibited, even amongst registered sufferers.
- Sufferers should additionally select whether or not they wish to buy from a dispensary or develop at dwelling; you’ll be able to’t do each underneath the identical registration cycle.
- All develop websites are topic to inspection or verification by the Division of Well being.
This dwelling cultivation possibility helps make sure that sufferers who might not reside close to a dispensary or who require particular strains for his or her situation have a authorized, inexpensive solution to entry their drugs.
What Medicine Are Authorized in Hawaii?
Hawaii takes a cautious however balanced method to drug legal guidelines, at all times aiming to prioritize public well being and security. Whereas the state has made progress with hashish reform, most substances are nonetheless tightly regulated.
Right here’s a breakdown of what’s authorized and what’s not:

- Alcohol is authorized for adults 21 and over. Hawaii enforces strict ID checks, particularly in tourist-heavy areas.
- Tobacco and nicotine merchandise (together with vapes) are additionally authorized for these 21+, with utilization banned in lots of public locations.
- Medical hashish is authorized, however solely when you have a sound 329 card. Sufferers should buy from dispensaries or develop their very own vegetation underneath set pointers.
- Leisure hashish just isn’t authorized, although it’s decriminalized for possession of as much as 3 grams. Which means you’ll get a effective, not jail time.
- Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC, together with different lab-made cannabinoids like THC-O, are prohibited underneath Hawaii regulation as a consequence of security considerations and a scarcity of regulation.
- Psychedelics like psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, and MDMA are nonetheless unlawful, although some advocacy teams are pushing for therapeutic use.
- Industrial hemp is authorized and broadly utilized in CBD merchandise so long as they meet federal pointers for THC content material (lower than 0.3%).
Slightly than fast-tracking broad legalization, Hawaii’s lawmakers are identified for taking a “public health-first” method. This implies gradual reforms, thorough laws, and a willingness to hearken to science and neighborhood wants.
That stated, with Governor Josh Inexperienced signaling assist for hashish legalization, the panorama might shift within the coming years, not only for marijuana however probably for different pure medicines, too.
How Does Hawaii Examine to Different States Relating to Hashish Legal guidelines?
In comparison with authorized states like California or Colorado, which have already legalized hashish for leisure use, Hawaii is extra conservative. Nonetheless, it’s forward of many others as a consequence of its established medical hashish framework.
- Hawaii was the primary state to legalize medical marijuana via laws.
- It has decriminalized small possession, in contrast to some states with harsher penalties.
- Latest payments like HB 1246 suggest an in depth adult-use legalization framework, together with social fairness provisions.
Nonetheless, the Aloha State has but to totally legalize adult-use weed, largely as a consequence of legislative gridlock.
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Authorized Disclaimer: This weblog is for informational functions solely and doesn’t represent authorized recommendation. Hashish legal guidelines are topic to vary. At all times seek the advice of official state assets or authorized counsel for probably the most present data. |