STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1631

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 50
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred
S.C.R. No. 50, S.D. 1, entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A FEASIBILITY STUDY
     ON THE POTENTIAL OF ESTABLISHING A MEDICINAL HERB INDUSTRY
     IN THE STATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of
Agriculture to perform a feasibility study on the potential of
establishing a medicinal herb industry in Hawaii.

     In addition, this measure requests the Department of
Agriculture to:

     (1)  Identify and contact potential consumers of medicinal
          herb products such as pharmaceutical companies to
          ascertain market interest;

     (2)  Identify potential medicinal herb crops that would be
          the most viable to establish a medicinal herb industry;

     (3)  Identify possible funding mechanisms for the
          establishment of a medicinal herb industry; and

     (4)  Work with the Department of Health, the Department of
          Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the

 
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          University of Hawaii, and the Hawaii Agricultural
          Research Center to perform the abovementioned tasks.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's mild year-round climate,
deep fertile soils, and abundant fresh water could provide the
start for a highly profitable medicinal herb industry that would
grow and process endemic, indigenous, and exotic herbs locally
for use by practitioners of western, eastern, Pacific Island, and
other healing arts.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 50,
S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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