STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1302

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 290

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 290, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIFORM CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend Hawaii's Uniform Controlled Substances Act to add a new cannabidiol drug to Schedule V in conformity with federal law and to create an exception for the drug under tetrahydrocannabinols in Schedule I.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Honolulu Police Department, Greenwich Biosciences, and Epilepsy Foundation Hawaii. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Akamai Cannabis Clinic and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the federal controlled substances law was updated to include a Schedule V controlled substance used to treat certain childhood-onset epilepsy patients who were not previously helped by other epilepsy medicines. This measure updates the Hawaii Uniform Controlled Substances Act to reflect those recent changes to federal law, which will improve the treatment options for certain epilepsy patients in Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing language that would have created a new exception for this drug under Schedule I, as this exception was inconsistent with federal law;

(2) Authorizing qualifying patients or qualifying out-of-state patients to transport medical cannabis between islands for their personal medical use; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 290, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 290, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair