Hawaii. Land of sun, sand, volcanoes and endless ocean views. It’s an idyllic scene, but deep in the legislature lies a law I didn’t think applied to this beautiful island state. In the land of palm trees and sandy beaches, it’s illegal to purchase bear gall bladders or have anything that has bear bile in it.

What? Seriously? That’s a thing?

Yes.

According to documents set forth by the Hawaii State laws, under H.B. No. 2296, Section 159-34 “(b) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no person shall buy, sell, transport, deliver, offer for sale or transportation, or receive for transportation in commerce, any bear gallbladders or bile, or any product, item, or substance containing, labeled, or advertised as containing bear gallbladders or bile. The possession of any bear gallbladders or bile is prima facie evidence of a violation of this subsection.”

I did a double take and had to suppress a serious bout of laughter when I read this law. What use could a bear gall bladder have other than the one it’s meant for? After a little research, I found that bear gallbladders have been prevalent in traditional medicinal practices. According to the Los Angeles Times, poaching of bears for their gallbladders specifically for medicinal use has increased recently.

Apparently, bear gallbladders can fetch a pretty penny on the black market, which I didn’t realize was a main stage for peddling animal organs or products made from said animal organs. It’s the poaching of these animals in areas outside of Hawaii that drove state legislature to outlaw the possession of these organs or any products that include any aspects of these animals, such as the bile from a bear gallbladder.

With all of this in mind, I think it’s important to recognize the global problem of poaching. According to a study done by Penn State, Minnesota’s lax hunting laws alone are responsible for nearly 50,000 black bear deaths each year.

When sold, the gallbladder or bile of a bear, or more specifically a black bear, can fetch up to $20,000 for the seller. There’s a serious demand for these items or products that are made from them, in holistic medicine circles. Many Eastern practices believe that bear gallbladders or bile can help with diabetes and heart problems.

Now, I’m no doctor. I’m just some random young Midwestern adult who thinks that finding interesting laws is pretty fun, but I’m definitely not an expert in holistic medicine practices. I don’t know how a bear gallbladder or bile from a bear is supposed to help our health, but I do recommend taking poaching and illegal hunting laws into account, my dudes.

Don’t get me wrong, bears are kind of scary. They’re big and strong and frankly if they wanted to they could cause some serious damage. But that does not mean that they don’t deserve to continue as a species.

Bear gallbladders should stay out of Hawaii, or better yet in their bodies. The Hawaii State Legislature has taken up the cause to cut down on illegal poaching, and I say good for them.

Now go forth with this new knowledge of seemingly irrelevant laws, stay away from bear bile and never forget that grizzlies have grandmas too.

Mic drop.

Van Allen can be reached at [email protected].