HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	87
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION IN CERTAIN STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

WHEREAS, despite longstanding laws that impose criminal penalties for the possession of marijuana, the use of marijuana has been increasing nationally, according to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health; and

WHEREAS, the survey, conducted annually by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, estimated that in 2017, approximately 7,600,000 adults aged eighteen to twenty-five, or 22.1 percent of adults in that age group, and 16,800,000 adults aged twenty-six or older, or 7.9 percent of adults in that age group, used marijuana in the preceding month; and

WHEREAS, although Hawaii has been a pioneer in facilitating the legalization as medical marijuana, which is known as medical cannabis, the possession of marijuana for non-medical purposes is still a criminal offense under state and federal law; and

WHEREAS, ten other states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult possession of small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use; and

WHEREAS, the legalization of non-medical marijuana possession and use may have a net positive effect on a state's economy, and may facilitate the enforcement of laws prohibiting more serious offenses, in part because state resources may be redirected toward those more serious offenses; and

WHEREAS, it is important for the Legislature to have an understanding of both the potential positive and negative effects of marijuana legalization, especially because the possession of marijuana remains a criminal offense under federal law; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to conduct a study that summarizes the salient points of existing published reports and studies from reputable sources that have evaluated:

(1) The economic costs and benefits of;

(2) Relevant crime statistics before and after; and

(3) Relevant positive and negative effects of,

the legalization of the non-medical use of marijuana in the states of Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to submit its findings to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Marijuana; Legalization; Study; Legislative Reference Bureau