Two legislative committees last week approved a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Hawaii, leaving the measure one step away from approval in the state Senate. The legislation, Senate Bill 3335, was approved by the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee on Friday. The next step before final approval of the bill in the Hawaii Senate is a floor vote by the full body, which could come as soon as this week, according to a report from online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment.
If passed, the legislation would legalize the use of cannabis by adults 21 and older, who would be permitted to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and up to five grams of cannabis concentrates. The bill also allows for the home cultivation of up to six cannabis plants by adults and creates a new state agency that would be tasked with regulating the commercial production and sale of marijuana and hemp.
A bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Hawaii could be approved by the state Senate this week … [+] after last week’s approval of the bill by two legislative committees.
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Senate Bill 3335 and a companion measure in the House of Representatives were introduced in the Hawaii legislature by Democratic lawmakers in January. The bills are based on a recreational marijuana legalization proposal offered by Attorney General Anne Lopez last year.
Committees Approve Amendments To Bill
Before voting to approve the measure on Friday, the two Senate committees held a joint hearing to consider several amendments to the legislation. One amendment approved by the panels made a slight change to the name of the new regulatory agency, which would be called the Hawaii Hemp and Cannabis Authority to indicate its oversight of both marijuana and hemp.
Another amendment adopted by the committees eliminates the bill’s funding levels “to reflect the ongoing discussion going on at the legislature right now,” according to Democratic Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, the sponsor of the measure in the Senate and the chair of the Commerce Committee.
The committees also approved an amendment that allows those with past felony marijuana convictions to apply for licenses and employment in the regulated cannabis industry, provided at least 10 years have passed since the end of their incarceration, probation or supervised release. Another change clarifies that the possession and sale of marijuana paraphernalia is also legal under Hawaii state law.
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Democratic Sen. Herbert “Tim” Richards, a Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee member, voted to support the bill with reservations.
“I think we’re really close,” Richards said at the joint hearing. “I’m going to be supporting with reservations, just because I think we still got a little bit we need to do, but I think we’re close.”
The bill would legalize recreational marijuana in Hawaii and allow adults to grow up to six weed … [+] plants at home.
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Republican Sen. Kurt Fevella said he does not support the bill “because we have no parameters, really, on how this is gonna be.”
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“You guys all know I support hemp,” he added, “but with this cannabis pleasuring thing, I cannot support the bills.”
Democratic Sen. Sharon Moriwaki, a member of the Ways and Means committee, voiced concerns that the state’s medical marijuana program lacks proper procedures, according to a report from Big Island Now.
“Having this move to a pleasure cannabis gives me concern,” Moriwaki said.
Panels Hear From Groups On Both Sides Of Weed Legalization
The committees heard from groups that support cannabis legislation, although they called for changes to the bill. The ACLU of Hawaii issued a statement noting its support for legalizing recreational marijuana but said that “this draft falls short of the robust social equity and reparative justice reforms required to address the harms and collateral consequences of cannabis arrest and conviction records that last a lifetime.”
“Notably, these harms have disparately impacted Native Hawaiians,” the civil liberties advocacy group added. “Native Hawaiians do not use drugs at drastically different rates from people of other races or ethnicities, but Native Hawaiians go to prison for drug offenses more often than people of other races or ethnicities.”
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Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the cannabis legalization advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), said that the current draft of the bill “takes an overly punitive approach and fails to include a sufficient commitment to equity.”
“Alarmingly,” O’Keefe testified, “the bill could result in more people being ensnared in the criminal justice system for cannabis instead of less.”
The committees also heard from state agencies opposed to legalizing recreational cannabis in Hawaii. The state Department of Law Enforcement said in written testimony that it has “serious concerns” about the legislation, citing a controversial report from Colorado claiming that fatal traffic collisions that could be linked to marijuana “nearly doubled between 2013 to 2020.”
“If cannabis were to be legalized in an adult use system for Hawaii, then it is highly probable that the rate of fatal car crashes and roadway deaths in Hawaii would very likely increase, especially amongst young drivers in Hawaii,” the department wrote.
The state Department of Education expressed “strong concerns” with the legalization bill and “the potential impacts it could have,” noting that research has shown that cannabis use might impair brain development in young people. The department also cited a study that found legalizing marijuana led to an increase in youth cannabis use.
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“Therefore, if Hawaii legalizes adult recreational cannabis use, it must also invest in prevention and education initiatives,” Superintendent Keith T. Hayashi said in written testimony.
The legislation gained the approval of two different Senate committees last month. The next step for the bill is a floor vote on the legislation by the full Senate. The legislation is subject to a March 7 deadline to cross over to the House of Representatives, suggesting the Senate floor vote is likely to occur this week.
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University of Hawaii at Manoa and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Teamed up To Analyze Feasibility of Geothermal Cooling Technologies
By Justin Daugherty, NLR
In areas with geologically recent volcanic activity and ample underground water flow, like the Hawaiian Islands, geothermal energy technologies present options to augment the electric grid.
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Oahu’s steep terrain and highly permeable volcanic rock enable large groundwater flow, a must for successful ground heat exchangers in Hawaii, where load is cooling dominated. Shown here is Kaena Point, the western tip of Oahu’s North Shore. Photo from Christine Doughty, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
To investigate building cooling and energy efficiency options, the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Hawaii Groundwater and Geothermal Resources Center collaborated with scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP).
Managed by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), formerly known as NREL, ETIPP supports remote, coastal, and island communities with technical assistance and energy planning to help them build more reliable and affordable energy systems. Communities apply for up to 24 months of technical assistance, and those communities drive the scopes and focuses of their energy projects.
University of Hawaii at Manoa joined the program in 2022 with a desire to explore geothermal options, and a new report from this project details the feasibility of developing shallow ground heat exchangers (GHEs) across Oahu and at a specific site on the island for cooling.
Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of relatively constant temperatures just under the earth’s surface, using GHEs to exchange heat with the earth. Through a system of looping pipes in the shallow ground, GHEs can move heat from a warm place to a cooler place, like how a refrigerator functions.
“High-temperature geothermal, which requires deep drilling, is required to produce electricity, but low-temperature geothermal such as GHEs, which can be accessed much nearer the ground surface, can be used for building heating and cooling, greatly lessening loads on the electric grid,” said Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Christine Doughty, staff scientist.
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“I believe both types of geothermal have potential to be an asset to Hawaii,” added Nicole Lautze, founder and director of the Hawaii Groundwater and Geothermal Resources Center.
Determining Geothermal Cooling Favorability in Hawaii
In open-loop geothermal systems, wells are drilled to extract and inject groundwater, allowing the movement of thermal heat to and from the earth. These GHEs use cooler ground water from outside the system for the cooling process and expel the warmer water afterward.
In contrast, closed-loop GHE systems continually circulate a heat-transfer solution through pipes, which transfers heat to and from the ground via thermal conduction. Groundwater needs to have temperatures that are low enough to effectively cool buildings, and groundwater flow in a GHE system works to remove built-up heat.
Hawaii has far greater needs for cooling than for heating—meaning that GHEs would add heat to the subsurface and cause the systems to not function as desired. That is where groundwater comes in: It replaces heated water from the boreholes and maintains the functionality of the GHE system. Sufficient groundwater flow, then, is essential to the considerations for GHE deployment. GHE systems may not be deployed in areas with restricted watersheds or where there is subsurface production of freshwater. Therefore, closed-loop systems may be a more reasonable option in some locations.
Left: A geographic information system map of Oahu depicts different soil permeability zones (“Ksat_Class” indicates the potential speed of groundwater flow). Right: Locations of U.S. Department of Defense lands and public and private schools—potential customers for GHE—are shown.
Numerous factors help determine whether a community or business may consider GHEs. Areas with older homes may lack efficient energy systems, and some organizations, like schools or government buildings, may prioritize more adaptive heating and cooling. Cultural considerations are also very important, and a new NLR report incorporates Hawaii communities’ perspectives on geothermal.
Economic factors are another big consideration, with the expense of deploying a system versus energy savings playing into overall cost. Modeling revealed that electricity and energy transfer demand decreased, and such reductions contributed to cost savings. Longer loan terms may help ease deployment expenses for geothermal systems.
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ETIPP researchers factored the above parameters into their analysis to develop favorability maps for closed-loop and open-loop GHE systems. They used specific geographic information system layers with 11 attributes—including elevation, geology, and soil permeability—to develop an overall favorability map for GHEs on Oahu.
For the site-specific feasibility analysis at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Stan Sheriff Center, researchers used a hydrogeologic model to analyze groundwater flow of a closed-loop system at the site. Restrictions on water quality—mandating that groundwater must be left in its natural state—diminished the available area for GHE system deployment across the island, while many coastal areas showed high favorability. Overlays showing potential customers and restricted areas sharpened the maps.
This closed-loop favorability map shows restricted areas where GHE development is not possible. Pixels colored dark green—the top of the color spectrum table—indicate land that is more favorable to geothermal energy.
Geothermal Cooling Potential at University of Hawaii at Manoa
From the island-wide analysis, ETIPP analysis homed in and found that the Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, a building with a high cooling load in an area with lots of open space surrounding it, could make a good candidate for site-specific analysis of GHE technology.
Researchers used a hydrogeologic model to analyze a potential closed-loop system at the site. They modeled groundwater and heat flow, analyzed subsurface heat flow, and completed a techno-economic analysis.
Analysis without groundwater flow showed that the GHE system may operate normally in the first year, but heat buildup would increase water temperatures significantly after that, and without groundwater to sweep heat away, there would be increased chiller demand in years two through six. Modeling that incorporated groundwater flow—with similar conditions as the Stan Sheriff Center—showed that heat would be effectively swept away from the borefield, which would enable successful GHE operation for at least 10 years. Thus, including groundwater in analysis and planning—coupled with low interest loan rates and high capital investment—may provide economic benefits to the university.
The Stan Sheriff Center (white dome in the center of the image) is located at the base of the Koolau Range. Image from Google Earth.
Cold seawater may be an option for cooling-source systems, the analysis concluded, and such a system already operates at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. The report authors encouraged further study.
As in Hawaii, ETIPP continues to help communities explore geothermal and other technologies to help meet their energy needs through in-depth, collaborative investigation of potential solutions.
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“This ETIPP project established a strong collaboration with LBNL and the foundation for what I hope is additional grant funding to explore the potential of GHEs on the UHM campus and across the state to cool buildings and reduce load on Hawaii’s grid,” Lautze said.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP) is a community-led technical support program for coastal, remote, and island communities to access unique solutions and increase energy reliability. By uniting federal agencies, national laboratories, regional organizations, and community stakeholders, ETIPP provides tailored technical support to help communities achieve affordable, reliable solutions to their energy system challenges. This collaborative model leverages the combined expertise and resources of its partners to deliver comprehensive, practical solutions that align with local needs. Learn more about ETIPP.
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Comet C/2025 A6, better known as Comet Lemmon, was one of the latest icy visitors to swing through our neighborhood of the solar system, leaving astronomers and casual skywatchers equally delighted. For observers in Hawaii, the glow of the Milky Way didn’t dim the streak of light made by this comet passing through.
What is it?
Comet Lemmon was discovered in January 2025 and made its closest approach to Earth in late October 2025. But by November 2025, when this image was taken, it had brightened to about the same apparent brightness as the planet Uranus, making it visible to the naked eye even from suburban skies.
Where is it?
This image was taken atop the volcanic peak Mauna Kea, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Comet Lemmon could be seen with the naked eye as it streaked across the sky. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURAImage processing: M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab) & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))
Why is it amazing?
Comets are notoriously unpredictable, so Comet Lemmon’s surprising visibility has felt like a bit of a cosmic bonus for Hawaiian stargazers. And this was a rare treat, as the comet won’t return to Earth’s skies for another 1,350 years, around the year 3375.
Framing this comet is the glow of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, which is easier to spot at higher elevations like Mauna Kea’s peak, where there is less light pollution. The image gives us a souvenir from a celestial visitor that won’t be back for more than a millennium.
Want to learn more?
You can learn more about comets and skywatching.
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
WASHINGTON, D.C. (HawaiiNewsNow) – U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) reintroduced a piece of legislation on Thursday to strengthen protections for immigrant families and address long-standing problems in the family immigration system.
The Reuniting Families Act aims to reduce visa backlogs, boost efficiency across the immigration process, and ensure a fairer, more humane process for immigrant families.
“Immigrant families currently experience unnecessary obstacles and delays due to our country’s broken immigration system, keeping families separated for potentially long periods of time,” Hirono said. “By reducing family-based immigration backlogs and making common sense updates to how we treat families, the Reuniting Families Act will help take the first step in the right direction to keeping families together as they navigate our immigration system.”
According to the senators behind this bill, nearly four million people with approved visa applications are currently trapped in a massive immigration backlog, with many waiting more than a decade to reunite with their loved ones.
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“As Donald Trump’s inhumane mass deportation campaign rips apart families and communities across the country, it’s paramount we address the unnecessary barriers in our immigration system that have created backlogs and kept families apart for years,” Duckworth said. “Our legislation would implement commonsense reforms to help end family-based backlogs, which keep too many with approved green card applications stuck in bureaucratic limbo, and help get more families where they belong—together.”
The Reuniting Families Act would shorten delays by recapturing unused visas, rolling them into future years, expanding who qualifies as a family member to include permanent partners, and increasing both the total number of available family preference visas and per-country limits.
The bill would also put a time limit on visa processing, so no applicant has to wait more than 10 years for a visa if they have an approved application.
Click here to read the full bill.
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
