STAND. COM. REP. NO. 200-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 1843

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1843 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MEDICAL CANNABIS PRODUCTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the manufacture and distribution of cannabis seeds and cannabis clones by medical cannabis dispensary licensees.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Big Island Grown, Kush Hawaii, Patients Without Time, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and nine individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that for twenty years medical cannabis patients have been allowed to self-cultivate cannabis; however, there has been no legal way to acquire cannabis seeds or clones. Allowing medical cannabis patients to grow their own cannabis from seeds or clones will enable these patients to obtain strains with medicinal properties while minimizing the risk of unwanted pests and pathogens from being introduced into a homegrown environment.

Your Committee notes the concerns raised in testimony by the Department of Health that this measure does not appear to comport with the Legislature's intent in establishing the statewide dispensary system and may allow for the purchase of unlimited numbers of cannabis seeds and clones. The Department of Health also expressed concerns that this measure could potentially enable patients to exceed their statutory limit of medical cannabis and allow out-of-state patients to purchase cannabis clones in violation of state law, and risks encouraging the illegal cannabis market.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a preamble; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1843, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1843, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair