It’s safe to say that the legality of marijuana in the United States has changed dramatically over the past five years or so. Once universally banned in all states, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, but many states have adopted laws that now make it permissible as either a medicinal or recreational product (or both). Examples include Michigan, Colorado and Vermont.
That does not mean it’s a free-for-all out there where marijuana is concerned. There are still many limits on who can sell, who can buy, how much of the product people can have them, and the like. These vary from state to state. But the big question is what Hawaii has done to join this trend. Is marijuana legal recreationally?
The latest marijuana bill recently failed
Recreational marijuana is not legal in Hawaii right now, but not for lack of trying. Some reports point out that the government has proposed measures to do this for about a decade and a half. The most recent one was in March of 2021. It made it through the Senate, but it did not pass the House.
What if you buy your marijuana somewhere else?
Say you’re coming to Hawaii on vacation. Can you bring marijuana with you if you purchased it legally in your own state?
You cannot. For one thing, federal laws say that you can’t cross state lines or fly with the drug, even between two states with recreational legality laws. Beyond that, though, it’s still illegal in Hawaii, regardless of where you bought it or what your home state has to say.
If you do find yourself facing drug charges, make sure you know exactly what legal options you have for your defense. The more you know, the better prepared you may be when it comes time to protect your interests in court.