Following the collapse of Senate Bill 3335 in the 2024 legislative session, which sought to legalize recreational marijuana, the push for legalization remains. Such is the case for recently introduced legislation, House Bill 519, which proposes an amendment to the state Constitution that would legalize the possession and use of recreational marijuana.
The broader issue at hand, however, is the continuous advocacy for cannabis legalization in Hawaii. The harmful social and health effects of cannabis pose a clear danger to the state, and it must not be legalized for recreational purposes.
First and foremost, the negative health effects of cannabis are cause for concern. According to the American Lung Association, marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxins and carcinogens as tobacco smoke. Moreover, marijuana smoke can cause chronic bronchitis and weaken the lung and respiratory system.
On a more severe note, marijuana has been linked to cases of psychosis and schizophrenia, particularly among young users, due to the highly potent THC content. In fact, the average THC content of marijuana in 1995 was 4%, but in 2017 it was as high as 17%, according to a study published by the Yale School of Medicine. By legalizing recreational marijuana, not only would this have an effect on adults, but it could potentially affect adolescents as the drug, similar to vaping devices, would be readily accessible.
Beyond marijuana’s negative health effects, there are serious social ramifications to consider.
An environment in which recreational marijuana is easily obtainable could lead users to try harder substances, such as cocaine or methamphetamine; in other words, it would serve as a gateway drug. The worst situation would be an increased amenability to drugs like fentanyl, with the state facing 48-related fentanyl deaths in 2021.
This raises the question of why lawmakers would pursue the legalization of recreational marijuana when Hawaii already faces a problem with drug overdoses.
One must also consider the fact that Hawaii is highly dependent on tourism. The pervasively fetid odor of marijuana may act as a deterrent to tourists who visit the islands, which would economically impact Hawaii. For instance, Japanese tourists, one of Hawaii’s largest sources of tourism, may have second thoughts about visiting the state as the drug is illegal and looked down upon in Japan.
The benefits of legalizing recreational marijuana, as lawmakers like state Sen. Jarret Keohokalole have mentioned in the past, include making the drug easier to regulate and control. But how is that the case when Colorado, the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, has seen its cannabis black market grow exponentially, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency? Even in California, despite legalizing recreational marijuana, an enormous portion of marijuana sales are still conducted via the black market.
The common question that is asked in response to criticism of recreational marijuana is this: What about alcohol? Isn’t that an unhealthy substance as well? That is a valid point. However, the moral question comes into play. Just because one unhealthy substance is legal, does that mean we ought to legalize another?
This legislative session is an opportunity to once again reject the pernicious legalization of recreational marijuana. What Hawaii needs is not a synthetic form of escapism; it just needs to maintain that charming spirit of aloha.
Kala’e Kong is a Saint Louis School student and staff writer for the school’s newspaper.
