REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT LEGISLATION TO REMOVE CANNABIS FROM THE FEDERAL CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT, PROVIDE SUPPORT TO STATES THAT ARE CLEARING DEFENDANTS' RECORDS OF CANNABIS OFFENSES, AND FACILITATE ACCESS TO THE FULL SPECTRUM OF BANKING SERVICES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED BUSINESSES.

SR58

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

58

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO REMOVE CANNABIS
FROM THE FEDERAL CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT, PROVIDE SUPPORT TO STATES THAT ARE
CLEARING DEFENDANTS' RECORDS of CANNABIS OFFENSES, AND FACILITATE access to THE
FULL SPECTRUM OF BANKING SERVICES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED BUSINESSES
.

����
WHEREAS, thirty-eight
states, four territories, and the District of Columbia authorize the use of
medical cannabis products; and twenty-four states, three territories, and the
District of Columbia have legalized the non-medical use of cannabis among
adults; and

����
WHEREAS, the
State of Hawaii has enacted:

����
(1)
�
Act 228, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, which
authorized the acquisition, possession, and use of medical cannabis;

����
(2)
�
Act 241, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, which
authorized the establishment and regulation of medical cannabis dispensaries;
and

����
(3)
�
Act 273, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, which
decriminalized the possession of small amounts of non‑medical cannabis;
and

����
WHEREAS, data
submitted by Hawaii's Attorney General to the United States Department of
Justice indicate that:

����
(1)
�
6,934 adults and 3,732 juveniles were arrested
in Hawaii for cannabis possession between 2011 and 2019; and

����
(2)
�
Even though Act 273, Session Laws of Hawaii
2019, decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis, five hundred
twenty-three adults and eighty
‑
five juveniles were arrested
for cannabis possession in 2020; and

����
WHEREAS, arrests
and convictions for cannabis possession remain on record and often impact the
ability of a person to obtain housing and employment; and

����
WHEREAS, other
state governments are clearing defendants' records of cannabis offenses, and
more than 2,500,000 records have been expunged or sealed since 2018; and

����
WHEREAS, even
though states have made significant policy changes with respect to cannabis,
the federal Controlled Substances Act still classifies cannabis as a Schedule I
substance, which means that medical cannabis dispensaries and other
cannabis-related businesses continue to face the prospect of federal seizures,
forfeitures, arrests, and other enforcement and prosecution actions; and

����
WHEREAS, alcohol
and tobacco remain outside the purview of the federal Controlled Substances
Act, even though the regular use of those substances often leads to physical
injuries, psychological and social harm, the onset of chronic and fatal
illnesses, and other negative impacts on individual and public health; and

����
WHEREAS, excessive
alcohol use in Hawaii accounts for approximately six hundred deaths and $937,400,000
in health care costs, legal expenses, and lost productivity each year, with illnesses
related to tobacco smoking costing the State's medical system approximately $611,000,000
annually; and

����
WHEREAS, a
recent demand study commissioned by the State Department of Health found that
an adult-use cannabis sector would exceed $1,000,000,000 in gross sales by its
fifth year of operation; and

����
WHEREAS, Hawaii's
medical cannabis dispensaries and other cannabis-related businesses, including
those providing goods, services, property, and facilities to cannabis-related
businesses, are hampered by their inability to obtain the full spectrum of
private banking services under federal law; and

����
WHEREAS, in
recent years, members of Congress have introduced legislation to facilitate access
to the full spectrum of banking services, including deposit insurance, for
cannabis-related businesses; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, that the United States Congress is requested to enact
legislation to:

����
(1)
�
Remove cannabis from the federal Controlled
Substances Act;

����
(2)
�
Provide support to states that are in the
process of clearing defendants' records of cannabis offenses; and

����
(3)
�
Facilitate access to the full spectrum of
banking services for cannabis-related businesses; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation are respectfully
requested to take the steps necessary to enter the full and complete text of
this request into the Congressional Record; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the
President and Vice President of the United States; President Pro Tempore,
Majority Leader, and Minority Leader of the United States Senate; Speaker,
Majority Leader, and Minority Leader of the United States House of
Representatives; and each member of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

United
States Congress; Cannabis; Controlled Substances Act