Hawaii’s Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Bill

Hawaii on Wednesday became the first state to use legislation to approve the possession and use of marijuana for medical purposes.

While signing the bill into law, Gov. Ben Cayetano said it was one aspect of his effort to make Hawaii the health care center of the Pacific.

“I’m glad to see this bill before me,” he said. “My own feeling is more states are going to come on.”

Hawaii is the eighth state to decriminalize the use of medical marijuana, but the previous seven states did so through ballot measures.

Voters in Alaska, Washington, California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Maine and the District of Columbia have approved medical marijuana laws. The Justice Department is challenging those laws.

Under Hawaii’s law, patients with certain qualifying illnesses must obtain a doctor’s recommendation to use medical marijuana and must register with the state Department of Public Safety to avoid criminal prosecution under state law.

The department first must formulate and implement rules to govern the registration process, which Donald Topping of the advocacy group Drug Policy Forum estimated could take up to two months.

“It will allow patients who have been using marijuana to do so without fear or prosecution,” Topping said. “There are a number of people who would like to use it but have hesitated because of the illegality of it.”

There are from 500 to 1,000 people in Hawaii who will be eligible to use medical marijuana, although the exact number is hard to discern because some people keep quiet about their use, Topping said.

Topping and others agreed with Cayetano’s prediction that the Hawaii law will lead to similar legislation in other states.

“This may set an example for other states, give them the courage to proceed,” Topping said. “I think the fear of being soft on drugs is beginning to fade now with this kind of legislation being passed.

“I see other states following suit in the near future.”