STAND. COM. REP. NO. 842

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 131

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 131, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEMP,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate and regulate the production of hemp in the State pursuant to federal law by:

(1) Amending the definition of "marijuana" in state law to clarify that hemp is not marijuana;

(2) Allowing licensees under the industrial hemp pilot project to use hemp genetics, from any state, that meet federal definitions of hemp;

(3) Requiring the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture to prepare and submit a proposed state plan to monitor and regulate hemp production, including commercial production and research, to the federal Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to section 297B of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended;

(4) Requiring the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture to submit reports to the Governor and the Legislature on the approval status of the State Plan; and

(5) Authorizing the Department of Agriculture to monitor and regulate hemp production, including commercial production and research, pursuant to section 297B of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended.

The Chair of the Maui County Council, Cyanotech Corporation, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, Hawai‘i Center for Food Safety, Kihei Community Association, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Farmers Union United, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and a few individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Public Safety submitted testimony in opposition to this measure. The Department of Agriculture, Department of the Attorney General, Hawaii Island Hemp Collective, Business and Economics Committee of the Hawaii Island Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, Akamai Cannabis Clinic, We Are One, Inc., and an individual offered comments on this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 131, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair