A post SB1613 policy brief outlining remaining gaps and a farmer inclusive adult use cannabis framework for Hawaiʻi.
SB1613 marked progress for Hawaiʻi cannabis policy. Structural gaps remain for farmers, patients, and local participation. This brief documents those gaps and presents a practical, farmer inclusive adult use framework grounded in Hawaiʻi agriculture, public safety, and community input.
Download the Legislative Brief PDF8.5×11 print ready. Prepared for legislative staff and policymakers.
Companion Briefing Insert
This legislative brief is supported by a one page companion document summarizing observable stress indicators within Hawaiʻi’s medical-only cannabis system. The insert highlights access friction, supply constraints, farmer exclusion, and regulatory uncertainty documented by licensed operators and public data.
Download the Medical-Only Market Stress Indicators PDFOne page. Reference insert for legislators and policy staff.
Brief Summary
What SB1613 Addressed
SB1613 clarified aspects of enforcement and regulatory authority. It improved consistency across state agencies. It did not establish a full adult use framework or pathways for local farmers to participate legally.
What Gaps Remain
No legal pathway exists for small or legacy farmers.
Patients and caregivers still face access and affordability barriers.
Economic benefits remain concentrated and disconnected from Hawaiʻi agriculture.
Community voices lack a formal role in future policy design.
What This Framework Proposes
A farmer inclusive adult use system rooted in Hawaiʻi agriculture.
Clear pathways for legacy participants to transition into compliance.
Local production standards aligned with sustainability and public safety.
Community informed oversight to guide future rulemaking.
How This Brief Is Intended to Be Used
This brief is provided as a reference document for legislators and legislative staff. It is designed to support ongoing and future discussions related to adult use cannabis policy in Hawaiʻi. The framework presented is modular and intended to inform bill drafting, committee analysis, and stakeholder consultation.
This brief is not a bill draft. It does not advocate for a single legislative vehicle. It identifies structural gaps and offers policy aligned options grounded in Hawaiʻi’s agricultural, economic, and public safety priorities.
This brief is suitable for citation in written testimony, internal staff analysis, and constituent correspondence.
Who Informed This Brief
This brief reflects input gathered from across Hawaiʻi’s cannabis community. Contributors include medical cannabis patients, caregivers, legacy farmers, agricultural advocates, small business operators, and policy professionals with direct experience in Hawaiʻi’s regulatory environment.
The perspectives represented emphasize local participation, public safety, patient access, and sustainable agricultural practices. This brief consolidates shared concerns and priorities raised consistently across these groups.
No individual endorsements are claimed. The intent is to accurately represent recurring themes expressed by community stakeholders.
Key Policy Principles
Farmer inclusion. Adult use cannabis policy should create legal pathways for small and legacy farmers to participate in regulated markets.
Public safety. Regulation should prioritize product safety, clear compliance standards, and consistent enforcement.
Patient access. Adult use policy should strengthen, not weaken, access and affordability for medical cannabis patients and caregivers.
Local economic participation. Economic benefits should remain in Hawaiʻi through local ownership, local production, and local labor.
Sustainability. Cultivation and production standards should reflect Hawaiʻi’s environmental realities and agricultural capacity.
Community informed oversight. Ongoing rulemaking should incorporate structured community input to adapt policy over time.
The Pakalolo Project is a community led policy effort focused on farmer inclusive adult use cannabis legislation in Hawaiʻi.
This brief is provided for informational purposes to support legislative review and policy discussion.
For policy related questions or written follow up, contact info@pakaloloproject.com
Prepared with input from patients, caregivers, legacy farmers, and policy professionals across Hawaiʻi.