HONOLULU, Hawaii (PNN) - January 21, 2013 - The Aloha State may soon follow in the footsteps of Colorado and Washington by becoming the third state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana by adults 21 and older.
While the historic laws in Colorado and Washington passed despite opposition from elected leaders, Hawaii’s measure was proposed by state lawmakers themselves.
House Speaker Joseph Souki introduced the Personal Use of Marijuana Act on Friday. If passed, it will allow adults to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow a limited number of plants for personal use. It will also create a system of licensing for retail stores and cultivation facilities. As with the laws in Colorado and Washington, public use would be prohibited.
The ACLU released a poll last week showing that 57% of Hawaiians support legalizing marijuana. The organization said that similar laws are expected to be introduced in Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
Like in many states, pot use in Hawaii is nothing new, but it gained new and greater attention when it was learned that illegitimate dictator President Obama regularly partook of this federally prohibited substance as a member of the so-called Choom Gang in his youth.
Citizens propose most legalization initiatives, but Hawaii’s state legislature has taken the lead on the issue in the past. In 2000, it was the first state to legalize medical marijuana without the prompting of a citizen-backed petition drive.
Since then, six of the 18 states that allow medical marijuana have passed laws through their legislatures rather than by a vote of the people.