STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1263

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 786

      S.D. 1

      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 S.B. No. 786, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to replace all references to "medical marijuana" or similar terms in state statutes and administrative rules and Department of Health documents, letterhead, websites, and other items with references to "medical cannabis" and similar terms.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from The Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Association of Professional Nurses, and several individuals.  The Department of Health and Department of Taxation submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the Department of Health shall conform the terminology used in Hawaii Administrative Rules related to medical use of marijuana and medical marijuana dispensaries to meet the requirements of this measure when the Department amends those rules;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2070, to facilitate further discussion; and

     (3)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment to correctly identify all instances where terminology shall be amended in the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     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 S.B. No. 786, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 786, S.D. 1, 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