Hawaii legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Hawaii SR141: Requesting the Governor to Obtain a Controlled Substance Exemption from the Drug Enforcement Administration for Registered Medical Cannabis Patients and Registration Waivers for State-licensed Dispensaries.
Status: In committee, March 31, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text:
THE SENATE S.R. NO. THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 STATE OF HAWAII MAR 1 6 2026 SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO OBTAIN A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE EXEMPTION FROM THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION FOR REGISTERED MEDICAL CANNABIS PATIENTS AND REGISTRATION WAIVERS FOR STATE-LICENSED DISPENSARIES. WHEREAS, under federal law, cannabis is currently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning it is illegal to possess, produce, and distribute without Drug Enforcement Administration Schedule I registration for limited research; and WHEREAS, in 2000 with the enactment of Act 228, Hawaii was one of the first states to accept the medical use of cannabis and create a state medical cannabis program under the State's constitutional authority over the intrastate practice of medicine; and WHEREAS, the resulting legal disharmony between the state and federal regulation of cannabis created a layered legal and economic gray area, in which patients and dispensaries must violate federal law to participate, with prosecution protection entirely dependent upon the non-enforcement of federal law; and WHEREAS, the legal disparities between the state and federal regulation of cannabis threaten employment, firearms registration, interisland transport, housing, hospice care, and safe and affordable access for tens of thousands of Hawaii's medical cannabis patients; and WHEREAS, these legal disparities also discourage hundreds of thousands of potential medical cannabis patients from enrolling in Hawaii's Medical Cannabis Program for fear …
Sponsors
- Brenton Awa (R, 23) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Report adopted, referred to JDC.
- : Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3404), with recommendation of referral to JDC.
- : The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in HHS were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, McKelvey, Kanuha, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Keohokalole.
- : The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-30-26 1:07PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
- : Referred to HHS, JDC.
- : Offered.
Votes
- HHS: recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED (March 30, 2026): 4 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Report, Exemption, Housing, DOH
Common questions
- What is SR141?
- SR141 is a bill in the Hawaii Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Requesting the Governor to Obtain a Controlled Substance Exemption from the Drug Enforcement Administration for Registered Medical Cannabis Patients and Registration Waivers for State-licensed Dispensaries.
- What is the status of SR141?
- In committee as of March 31, 2026. Latest action: Report adopted, referred to JDC. (March 31, 2026).
- Who sponsored SR141?
- Brenton Awa (R, 23).
- Where is the official record for SR141?
- On the Hawaii Legislature website: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SR&billnumber=141&year=2026
Source: official Hawaii record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.