HI HR160

Hawaii House Resolution urging the Governor to obtain a federal controlled substance exception from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for registered medical cannabis patients and registration waivers for state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries.

Hawaii established the first legislatively-created state medical cannabis program in 2000 through Act 228, creating ongoing conflict between state and federal cannabis regulations.

Current federal-state regulatory conflicts cause medical cannabis patients to face discrimination in employment, child custody hearings, federal housing eligibility, firearms permits, and insurance applications despite state-legal compliance.

The Legislature previously passed House Concurrent Resolution 132 in 2021 requesting the Department of Health pursue a DEA exception under 21 CFR 1307.03, but the Department has not acted on that request.

Following President Trump's December 18, 2025 Executive Order 14370 directing expedited federal rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule III, the resolution requests the Governor provide quarterly progress reports to the Legislature on reharmonization efforts.