Tag: hawaii

Hawaii Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill, After Calling One Of Its Provisions ‘A Grave Violation Of Privacy,’

On the heels of signaling a possible veto of a bill meant to expand access to medical marijuana in Hawaii, Gov. Josh Green (D) instead signed the measure into law over the weekend, regardless of a provision he recently described as “a grave violation of privacy.”

HB 302 will make two main reforms around patient access. First, it allows a patient’s primary treating medical provider to recommend marijuana for any malady they see fit, regardless of whether it’s a specified qualifying condition in Hawaii. It also allows patients to receive medical cannabis recommendations through telehealth visits rather than having to establish an in-person relationship with a provider.

Before lawmakers sent the bill to Green, a conference committee revised the plan, inserting a provision to allow the state Department of Health to access medical marijuana patient records held by doctors for any reason whatsoever.

The revised bill authorizes the Department of Health to “inspect a qualifying patient’s medical records held by the physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or hospice provider who issued a written certification for the qualifying patient.” Providers who don’t comply with a department request for a patient’s records could see their ability to issue medical cannabis revoked.

Advocates initially supported HB 302 as a means to expand access to patients with conditions beyond those specified under state law. But many withdrew support following the conference committee’s changes.

An additional provision establishes a new Class C felony for unlicensed operation of a dispensary, adding another major charge on top of the state’s existing laws against illegal distribution of marijuana.

In early June, Green himself put the cannabis measure on a list of bills he intended to veto—an indication, though not a commitment, that he was leaning towards rejecting it.

“Although this bill’s authorization of medical cannabis certifications via telehealth expands access to medical cannabis,” his office wrote at the time, “provisions authorizing the inspection of patients’ medical records without warrant constitute a grave violation of privacy.”

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Maui police chief named in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit as alleged co-conspirator

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier is fiercely denying allegations that he was involved in a cover-up linked to Sean “Diddy” Combs.

In a nearly 90-page civil lawsuit filed by Ashley Parham and two unnamed individuals, Pelletier is accused of being hired as security for Combs in 2018.

The suit claims that Pelletier, who at the time was a Las Vegas police captain, posed as a sheriff deputy in California and responded to an alleged gang rape involving Combs.

The alleged victim claims that Pelletier instructed her to go home and offered no help or medical care.

The woman claims Pelletier gave an envelope to a neighbor, which she believed to be full of cash.

She claims Pelletier later took her and another plaintiff at gunpoint to his home, restrained them, refused to let them call an attorney, and made various moves to cover up the kidnapping.

In a statement, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen requested that the Maui County Police Commission put Pelletier on administrative leave while the investigation remains ongoing.

The statement reads as follows:

“On March 7, 2025, and was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in the case of Ashley Parham v. Sean Combs (Case No. 3:24-cv-07191-RFL).

This amendment includes multiple new defendants, one of whom is Maui Police Chief John Pelletier.

The original complaint, filed on October 15, 2024, did not name Chief Pelletier.

While the allegations in the amended complaint remain unproven, they are serious in nature and involve claims of alleged criminal conduct.

As with any such legal matter, due process must be observed, but the existence of these allegations alone presents concerns regarding public trust and the effective functioning of the department.

There is precedent within the County of Maui government for placing appointed officials on leave while allegations against them are investigated.

This approach does not constitute a presumption of guilt but ensures that the individual in question is not in a position that may compromise the integrity of the office while the matter is under review.

The County of Maui Charter requires appointed officers to uphold the highest ethical standards to maintain public confidence in local government.

Given the gravity of the allegations, I recommend that the Maui Police Commission place Chief Pelletier on administrative leave pending further investigation.

Additionally, I urge the Commission to conduct its own independent review rather than waiting for the resolution of the federal case.

Taking proactive steps will demonstrate the County’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical governance.”Mayor Richard Bissen

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State criminalizes political memes, gets sued by popular satire site

The Babylon Bee, a popular satire website, has filed a lawsuit against the state of Hawaii challenging a state law that censors online content, “including political satire and parody.”

An announcement from the ADF, which is representing the publication as well as a Hawaii resident in the case, said, “The law violates fundamental free speech and due process rights by using vague and overbroad standards to punish people for posting certain political content online, including political memes and parodies of politicians.”

The ADF explained Gov. Josh Green signed S2687 into law in July 2024, and it bans the distribution of “materially deceptive media” that portrays politicians in a way that risks harming “the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate.”

Further, the state forces satire artists to post disclaimers, destroying the purpose of satire.

“Hawaii’s war against political memes and satire is censorship, pure and simple,” said ADF lawyer Mathew Hoffmann. “Satire has served as an important vehicle to deliver truth with a smile for centuries, and this kind of speech receives the utmost protection under the Constitution. The First Amendment doesn’t allow Hawaii to choose what political speech is acceptable, and we are urging the court to cancel this unnecessary censorship.”

Seth Dillon, chief of the Bee, said, “We’re used to getting pulled over by the joke police, but comedy isn’t a crime. The First Amendment protects our right to tell jokes, whether it’s election season or not. We’ll never stop fighting to defend that freedom.”

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Hawaii Becomes First State To Charge Tourists For Carbon Footprint

Hawaii became the first U.S. state to establish a climate impact fee on tourism this week, placing an additional tax on visitors to fund “climate change resiliency projects”.  As the country’s inaugural “Green Fee,” Act 96 will raise the state’s current transient accommodations tax (TAT) by 0.75% for a total of 11% placed upon the nightly lodging rate, effective Jan. 1, 2026, according to a press release by Governor Josh Green’s office.

“Today Hawaiʻi ushers in the first Green Fee in the nation. Once again, Hawaiʻi is at the forefront of protecting our natural resources, recognizing their fundamental role in sustaining the ecological, cultural and economic health of Hawaiʻi. As an island chain, Hawaiʻi cannot wait for the next disaster to hit before taking action. We must build resiliency now, and the Green Fee will provide the necessary financing to ensure resources are available for our future,” said Governor Green.

Green is ostensibly referring to the disastrous Maui fires in 2023 which did $5.5 billion in property damage and became an international embarrassment for the Hawaiian state government.  Of course, as we reported at the time, the fires had nothing to do with “climate change” and everything to do with the state’s gross mismanagement of water resources and fire response.

The new Green Fee will apply to travelers staying in hotels, short-term vacation rentals and for the first time ever, cruise ships. For a nightly hotel rate of $300, the tax would add an extra $2.25 each day.  This might not seem like much, but Hawaiian officials expect the tax to generate up to $100 million per year, and like all progressive governments, they are licking their chops over the possibilities.

In essence, carbon footprint schemes are a tax on an invisible byproduct with an imaginary climate impact.  These are taxes to solve a problem which does not exist.  So, the sky is truly the limit on how far carbon taxes can be taken to bleed the American public and fuel further government expansion.  It begins with a tax on hotel rooms, but there’s nothing stopping the state from adding the same fees to everything from boat rentals to tiki torches. 

Furthermore, if Hawaiian residents think they will be spared from such taxes, they are in for a rude awakening.  The new Green Fee also applies to people living in Hawaii who stay at hotels and resorts, and there’s little doubt that more taxes are incoming as the Green Fee sets the precedent.  Some legislators have pushed for carbon tax “kickback” to residents of the state, but this would represent a minimal offset if carbon taxes spread to all areas of the economy.

Keep in mind, Hawaii already has one of the highest tax burdens for citizens in the entire US.

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Anti-Christian agenda now costing Hawaiian taxpayers $100,000

An agenda to deprive after-school Bible clubs of the same access to schools that other clubs were granted routinely now is costing the taxpayers in the state of Hawaii.

A report from Liberty Counsel, which fought the state on behalf of Child Evangelism Fellowship and its Good News Clubs, revealed that the state appropriations bill, just signed by Gov. Josh Green, provides $100,000 to CEF following a court ruling.

It was last December that a federal judge granted Liberty Counsel a permanent injunction on behalf of CEF against the state that provided equal access to school facilities.

That access had been “unlawfully denied” by the state Department of Education and six different elementary schools, the report said.

The injunction granted CEF Hawaii “prevailing party” status in the dispute, a move that now protects the Good News Clubs from the previous viewpoint discrimination, but also calls for the state to cover litigation costs.

The result now is that the state will give CEF’s clubs access to schools equal to other similarly situated organizations across the state.

Liberty Counsel reported, “During the lawsuit, Hawaii’s Department of Education conceded that one school denied CEF Hawaii use of its facilities based on religion, while another school’s denial was due to a ‘misapplication’ of school policies. CEF Hawaii contended that after it appealed the ‘blatant religious discrimination’ of these denials to the Hawaii State Department of Education, it never received any response, nor did school officials take any corrective actions.”

Other organizations that had been granted access included the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girls on the Run, A+ After School Programs, and YMCA.

The state had allowed CEF’s Good News Clubs in more than a dozen schools on Oahu and other islands before COVID-19.

“Then, after restricting after-school programs due to COVID-19, schools fully restored after-school programs in 2022. However, the Hawaii State Department of Education, through four of its superintendents and other officials, had denied every request submitted by CEF to restart its programs and either expressly or effectively denied every appeal, while allowing access for other similar groups to meet after school on campus,” Liberty Counsel explained.

There are more than 3,000 Good News Clubs in elementary schools across the nation.

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Hawaii Governor Signs Bill Expanding Medical Marijuana Caregiver Rights

Hawaii’s governor has signed into law a bill to expand the rights of medical marijuana caregivers, allowing them to grow cannabis on behalf of up to five qualified patients rather than the current one, among other changes.

Gov. Josh Green (D) formally signed SB 1429 into law earlier this month. The purpose of the legislation, according to its introductory section, is to “maintain and clarify the multiple options currently available for qualifying patients to access a safe and legal supply of medical cannabis,” including from primary caregivers.

In addition to increasing the limit on how many patients a caregiver can cultivate cannabis for, the new law also extends a state allowance for caregivers to cultivate marijuana for patients in the first place—a right that technically expired at the beginning of this year after lawmakers failed to amend a sunset date in prior legislation.

The governor signed an executive order in late December that has since protected caregivers from “undue enforcement” as the legislature worked to hammer out the policy fix.

Only 55 percent of patients in a 2022 survey said they exclusively obtained medical marijuana at licensed dispensaries, the newly enacted measure notes. “This means that up to forty-five per cent of patients obtain their cannabis for medical use from other sources, including cultivation.”

Patients, it continues, “should continue to have multiple options for obtaining medical cannabis, including having a primary caregiver grow an adequate supply of cannabis for medical use on their behalf.”

Violations of the new caregiver law would be subject to a fine of “not more than $5,000 for each separate violation,” which would be imposed by the state Department of Health.

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Hawaii Sues Oil Companies Over Climate Change – Exempts One Refinery That Donates to Democrats

The blue state of Hawaii is suing oil companies over climate change, but for some strange reason they have exempted one refinery that has executives who give a lot of cash to Democrats. What an odd coincidence.

The entire conversation about climate change should have ended the instant that leftists began targeting Teslas and Tesla dealerships over DOGE. It proved that the left doesn’t really care about this issue, they just want what they want.

The lawyers for the oil companies will surely point this out, if they’re smart.

The Washington Free Beacon reports:

Hawaii Sues Oil Industry for Causing Climate Change—But Spares State’s Largest Refiner Whose Executives Donate to Dems

The State of Hawaii filed a major lawsuit against a dozen major oil companies and the nation’s largest oil industry group, accusing them of marketing and selling products that have caused higher temperatures, increased sea levels, more frequent flooding, coastal erosion, and more intense heat waves.

But Hawaii’s sprawling complaint—which prosecutors hope will force oil industry defendants to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages—excluded Houston-based Par Pacific and its subsidiary Par Hawaii, the oil company that operates Hawaii’s sole petroleum refinery and remains the state’s leading supplier of gasoline and jet fuel. That means prosecutors spared a company that is likely the single largest driver of the emissions in the state.

The complaint makes just one reference to Par’s Hawaii refinery, chastising ExxonMobil for supplying crude oil to the facility that is then ‘refined on Hawaii and distributed to consumers.’ In addition to ExxonMobil and the American Petroleum Institute, BP, Chevron, Shell, Equilon Enterprises, Sunoco, Aloha Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Woodside Energy Hawaii, BHP Hawaii are all listed as defendants.

Could it be any more obvious what’s happening here?

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Hawaii Bill To Support Psychedelic Therapy—Passed By Both Senate And House—Is Dead For The Session

A Hawaii bill to support research into psychedelic-assisted therapies that had passed both chambers of the legislature in different forms missed a legislative deadline and is now dead for the session, its sponsor tells Marijuana Moment.

SB 1042, from Sen. Chris Lee (D), was scheduled for a conference committee meeting, with lawmakers from both legislative chambers set to hammer out differences between versions of the bill passed by the House and Senate.

“Unfortunately, we ran out of time was the bottom line,” Lee said in a brief phone interview. “And that happened to a slew of bills, not just this one.”

While the proposal won’t move forward this year, the senator said the conversation this session will set the stage for a renewed effort in 2026.

“The great thing is, we had agreement on the final language in the bill,” Lee said. “So I think picking up next year from there will give us the ability to identify a clear path forward.”

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Advocates In Hawaii Pull Support For Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill Due To Changes By Conference Committee

Lawmakers in Hawaii have agreed on medical marijuana legislation that would, among other changes, allow healthcare providers to recommend cannabis to treat any condition they believe it would benefit.

But the latest version of the bill, HB 302—approved Friday by a conference committee consisting of members of both legislative chambers—offers a narrower path to medical marijuana for patients with conditions not already listed in the program. For those patients, a recommendation would need to come from their “primary treating medical provider” rather than a provider who specializes in cannabis.

“It is making changes to the medical medical cannabis law by expanding access,” Rep. Gregg Takayama (D) said at the committee hearing, “by allowing treating physicians and nurses to go beyond the specified medical conditions if they feel it’s appropriate.”

After briefly describing the bill, Takayama quipped: “I’ve been waiting all session to say this has been a tremendous joint effort.”

Advocates, however, say the change mandating that only “primary treating medical providers” could recommend marijuana—combined with others made in the conference committee that would establish a new felony charge for unlicensed dispensary operation and give the state Department of Health sweeping authority to review patients’ medical records—has led them to reconsider their stance on the bill.

The group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), for example, now opposes HB 302 after previously submitting testimony in support of earlier versions. Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for MPP, noted that data suggest that only a small subset of Hawaii doctors are currently willing to recommend cannabis.

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Hawaii Senate Passes Bill To Let Doctors Recommend Medical Marijuana For Any Condition They See Fit

Senators in Hawaii on Wednesday gave approval to a medical marijuana bill that would, among other changes, allow healthcare providers to recommend cannabis to treat any condition they believe it would benefit.

The full Senate chamber voted 24–1 to approve HB 302, from Rep. Gregg Takayama (D).

As introduced, the proposal would clarify that under state law, a medical marijuana recommendation would no longer need to be made by a doctor who had conducted “an initial in-person consultation” with a patient.

Last month, however, a pair of Senate committees amended the bill to effectively allow medical marijuana to be recommended for any condition that a doctor or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) believes it would benefit. Currently providers can recommend marijuana to treat only those maladies on a specific state list.

The provision would redefine “debilitating medical condition” to mean “any condition determined by the certifying physician or advanced practice registered nurse to be appropriate for the medical use of cannabis.”

That would open the door to wider access for patients who might have conditions that stand to benefit from medical marijuana but whose ailments haven’t been specifically recognized by state officials.

Senate lawmakers did not discuss the bill ahead of Tuesday’s vote. The lone no vote came from Sen. Brenton Awa (R).

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