Hawaii’s Senate has unanimously passed a bill to legally change how the state refers to “medical marijuana”.
Senate Bill 786 – filed by Senator Mike Gabbard (D) – would revise Hawaii’s laws and administrative rules to no longer refer to “medical marijuana”, but to instead call it “medical cannabis”. It passed the Senate with a 25 to 0 vote.
According to the bill’s official text, the change is necessary because “Marijuana” has no scientific basis but carries prejudicial implications rooted in racial stereotypes”. The measure notes that “cannabis”, on the other hand, carries with it “no such negative connotations.”
Specifically, Senate Bill 786; “Amends Hawaii Revised Statutes and Hawaii Administrative Rules to substitute references to “medical marijuana” and like terms with “medical cannabis” and like terms”, and “Requires the department of health to make all conforming revisions to documents, letterhead, websites, and other necessary items by December 31, 2019.”
The full text of the measure – which is just one page long – can be found by clicking here. It has been sent to the House of Representatives, where passage would send it to Governor David Ige for consideration.
About Anthony Martinelli
Anthony, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog, has worked closely with numerous elected officials who support cannabis law reform, including as the former Campaign Manager for Washington State Representative Dave Upthegrove. He has also been published by multiple media outlets, including the Seattle Times. He can be reached at TheJointBlog@nullTheJointBlog.com.