Will Espero sees legal pot in 3 to 5 years

Hawaii’s desire for higher tax revenue could eventually lead to the legal sale of recreational marijuana, a state legislator said.

State Sen. Will Espero (D, Ewa Beach-Ocean Pointe), who advocated for the opening of the state’s first medical marijuana dispensaries, said recreational use could happen in three to five years.

Hawaii’s first medical marijuana dispensaries opened this month, one on Maui and one on Oahu. Both dispensaries reported brisk sales and had to close after only a few days because they sold out of product.

“Obviously, this is the beginning of something that’s going to be huge not only in Hawaii, but nationally once we get to recreational, which I think is going to happen down the road,” said Espero, who spoke Thursday at a luncheon sponsored by the Hawaii Venture Capital Association. “Part of the reason that’s going to happen is because of our desire and need for tax revenues. Most people don’t know how expensive governing is. We need to get the money somewhere. This is the beginning of medical marijuana, and I believe it is going to flourish.”

Espero said there is strong support for recreational marijuana use in the state.

“You have the younger generation versus the older generation. Values and morals are changing,” he said, adding that Hawaii is waiting to see whether President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on states that allow recreational use.

“The political climate will determine adult recreational use. We have now what appears to be a very hostile administration when it comes to adult use,” he said. “What the federal government does or how they approach things, that’s what everybody’s sort of waiting for.”

In the meantime Espero will push the legal sale of cannabis-infused edibles such as candies, cookies and brownies in the next legislative session, as well as expanding the qualifying ailments for pot use to include depression, stress, anxiety and insomnia, which would “increase the patient base tremendously.”

“If you expand the ailments, in essence you are allowing access to more people,” he said.

He said he also will advocate for reciprocity, meaning visitors with medical marijuana cards in other states would be able to purchase pot at local dispensaries.

The Hawaii medical marijuana law does not allow the sale of edibles, such as candies and cookies, but it does allow the sale of derivatives, such as oils and lotions.

For now, the two operating dispensaries — Maui Grown Therapies and Aloha Green Holdings Inc. — are waiting for a lab that can test derivative products before they can begin sales of oils, tinctures and lotions. So far the state has certified only one testing lab.

Espero’s expectation that recreational pot will be legal in Hawaii in three to five years was not shared by another speaker at the Thursday luncheon.

“I don’t see recreational coming to Hawaii in the near future,” said Brian Goldstein, CEO of Oahu dispensary Manoa Botanicals LLC, which plans to open in Honolulu in October. “Hawaii is somewhat socially conservative — we don’t even have a lottery. It’s all conjecture right now. We certainly did not build our business model based on the expectation of adult use coming anytime soon to Hawaii. Medical is a safe place to be right now with the current administration.”