STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1381-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.R. No. 29

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.R. No. 29, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGULATED STATEWIDE DISPENSARY SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Public Policy Center in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (Public Policy Center) to convene a task force to develop recommendations for the establishment of a regulated statewide dispensary system for medical marijuana which will provide safe and legal access to medical marijuana for qualified patients.

     The Department of Health, Department of Public Safety, Americans for Safe Access-Big Island Chapter, Community Alliance on Prisons, Drug Policy Action Group, Effective Change, LLC, Hawaiian Standard & Green Futures, and numerous concerned individuals submitted testimony in support of the measure.  The City and County of Honolulu Police Department and the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii submitted testimony in opposition to the measure.  The Public Policy Center, Legislative Reference Bureau, and concerned individuals submitted comments.

    Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the police chief or the police chief's designee may serve on the task force;

     (2)  Adding a representative from the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii to serve on the task force;

     (3)  Adding the Executive Director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii to the list of individuals receiving certified copies of this measure; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 29, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 29, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair