Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 197 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to conduct a study of the placement of the State's medical marijuana program and to determine whether it would be more appropriately placed in the Department of Health.

The Women's Coalition, the Drug Policy Action Group, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and two individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Legislative Reference Bureau submitted comments.

The Legislative Reference Bureau raised concerns about whether a study would resolve conflicts between the Department of Health and the Department of Public Safety regarding the appropriate placement of the program. It also noted the lack of information available on the Department of Public Safety's website. Your Committee finds that convening a medical marijuana working group comprised of representatives from the respective state agencies and relevant stakeholders, rather than a study, will encourage compromise and better advance the dissemination of information on the Department of Public Safety's website.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(4) Requesting the working group to:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 197, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 197, S.D. 1.