STAND. COM. REP. NO.  161

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1488

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1488 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the full implementation of the medical marijuana dispensary system by:

     (1)  Establishing an Office of Medical Marijuana Administration in the Department of Health to provide comprehensive management of the dispensary system and patient registration;

     (2)  Amending certain dates and deadlines in existing law to account for delays in fully implementing the dispensary system;

     (3)  Establishing new deadlines for the Department to implement its computer tracking system and laboratory testing program;

     (4)  Providing for an alternate tracking system in case of a shutdown of the Department's primary system; and

     (5)  Amending standards for the award of new dispensary licenses, retention of dispensary security videos, and laboratory testing.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from several individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Hawaii Veteran's Cannabis Alliance and an individual. The Department of the Attorney General, Department of Health, Hawai‘i Dispensary Alliance, Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i, Drug Policy Action Group, Hawaii Educational Association for Licensed Therapeutic Healthcare, and several individuals commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Moving the language establishing the Office of Medical Marijuana Administration within the Department of Health to chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, instead of chapter 329, upon recommendation of the Attorney General;

     (2)  Adding new language to authorize qualifying patients and primary caregivers to directly obtain testing services from certified laboratories on the same island;

     (3)  Inserting an unspecified time period for required retention of dispensary security video recordings to encourage further discussion; 

     (4)  Changing its effective date to June 29, 2090, to encourage further discussion; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity and consistency.

     Your Committee notes that the Department of Health expressed important concerns for patient safety in its testimony regarding amendments to standards for laboratory testing.  Your Committee notes that the Department has already begun to develop administrative rules and standards that incorporate the lessons learned from the experience of other jurisdictions that permit medical or recreational marijuana use.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1488, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1488, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair