HI HB154

Authorizes the dean of the college of tropical agriculture and human resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to establish a two-year industrial hemp remediation and biofuel crop research program, including the authority to grow and cultivate industrial hemp in compliance with federal Agricultural Act of 2014 requirements.

Permits the research program to study phytoremediation (using plants to remove toxins from soil and water) and evaluate industrial hemp as a biofuel feedstock, with potential collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering.

Requires the dean to submit a final report to the legislature no later than twenty days before the 2016 regular session covering contamination uptake rates, carbon fixation, contaminant location in plant parts, and viability of hemp as biofuel feedstock.

Provides civil and criminal liability protection for program participants who grow or possess industrial hemp in full compliance with the research program requirements.

Defines industrial hemp as Cannabis sativa L. with no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol on a dry weight basis, excluding it from marijuana classifications under state law.

Makes an appropriation from general revenues for fiscal year 2014-2015 to establish and operate the two-year research program.