The proposed HB1109/SB1428 seeks to prohibit the sale of manufactured hemp products to individuals under the age of twenty-one. Hemp is not an intoxicant; it is a material that Hawaii can safely grow and export. It cannot be abused by minors or adults, because it does not contain meaningful levels of THC. There is no reason to regulate it at all, let alone to place strict age restrictions on it. It would be no different than banning tomatoes or cotton for minors: it's an absurd abuse of government power. To legalize the production of Hemp, the government need only stop using violence against farmers.
Keep in mind that most of the hemp products being targeted by the ban would things like lotion, shampoo, skin care products, hemp-seed cereal, protein powders, paper, cloth, textile, and renewable-plant-based paper goods.
Yes, you read that right: that’s what they are spending your money to regulate with the full power of criminal enforcement. It is a slap in the face to the health & wellness community, and another attempt to crack-down on Josh Green’s political enemies; Josh himself openly admits he is working for Big Pharma’s interests. It makes a terrible kind of sense that our compromised legislature would be seeking to help the governor ban natural health products, and to jail local farmers are businesses that try to compete with his corporate sponsors.
Mussolini said that Fascism is when corporate & government power / interests are merged. We dare to ask - is that what we now effectively have in Hawaii?
The State and its sponsors actually want to control culture, racial composition, population, development, business, health, and nearly all human activities with an iron fist - mostly on behalf of the belligerent corporations who originally seized power after the Kingdom of Hawaii was illegally overthrown.
So what is the purpose of a Hemp Ban?
Whom does it really serve?
At the age eighteen, individuals are legally allowed to vote, serve in the military, and even fight and die for our country. It is contradictory to recognize them as adults capable of making life-and-death decisions on the battlefield while simultaneously saying they're too immature to purchase, use, or grow a plant - especially one without any evidence whatsoever of any harmful or psychoactive effects.
Individuals have the right to make choices regarding their own lives, including what they consume. The government is effectively infringing on the right of informed adults to make personal decisions. If individuals are mature enough to engage in adult activities, they should also be trusted to make informed choices about hemp products.
Effects on Business Owners
The bill introduces unnecessary regulations that interfere with the free market:
Age Verification
Check valid government-issued photo ID for in-person sales.
Obtain ID copy or use age verification service for online sales.
Sales Restrictions
Sales only through direct face-to-face interactions or online direct shipments.
Product Storage and Display
Store products behind sales counters or in locked containers.
Prominent Notices
Display notices indicating sales to individuals under twenty-one are prohibited.
Penalties
Up to $10,000 in fines and a revocation of permit. The only hearing afforded the seller would be before the “director” upon request.
Oddly, the Hawaii Revised Statute referenced in this bill regarding penalties (linked above) has already been repealed, but the repeal date is nearly two years from now. This begs the question of what penalties will actually be enforceable by the repeal date (and worse, what it might be replaced with).
Business owners should have the authority to determine their sales practices without government mandates. These regulations stifle competition and innovation, ultimately harming consumers and business owners.
HB1109 undermines personal freedoms and market principles. By imposing age restrictions on hemp product sales, we are sending a message that adults are not trusted to make their own choices, despite being entrusted with far greater responsibilities than just consuming a plant.
Help Us Oppose this Bill:
Click on the hyperlink to familiarize yourself with the bill text: HB1109
Call your representatives: Maps of districts and their representatives with contact information can be found here.
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