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Marijuana advocate says Hawaiʻi governor has not kept up with the times

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Although Hawaiʻi became the first state to legalize medical marijuana through the state Legislature in 2000, laws regarding recreational use still have not changed.

Drug Policy Forum of Hawaiʻi Board President Nikos Leverenz says this is partly due to the governor.

"The governor is important because he sets the tone. The Legislature can pass great legislation, but if the governor doesn't buy into it, he can veto whatever legislation comes up," Leverenz said.

"I think it's important for the governor to be out front on this issue. It's been percolating and in this state for many decades, and I feel that the current governor has not kept up with the times, quite frankly," Leverenz told HPR.

Leverenz says the 2019 legislation decriminalizing the possession of 3g or less of marijuana has decreased the number of arrests.

According to the Uniform Crime Report, arrests for possession on Oʻahu decreased by 45% from 2019 to 2020.

This year, the Senate and House are going back and forth on a bill that would allow current dispensaries to transport items between other dispensaries.

Zoe Dym was a news producer at Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
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