STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2595

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2476

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2476 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize naturopathic physicians with the same authority as physicians and advanced practice registered nurses in regards to providing written certifications for qualified patients for the medical use of cannabis.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Society of Naturopathic Physicians, Kush Hawaii, Vitality Natural Medicine Clinic, Aloha Green Holding Inc., and twenty-one individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Public Safety, Board of Naturopathic Medicine, and Akamai Cannabis Clinic.

Your Committee finds that although the State has taken many important steps to make medical cannabis available, further action is needed to ensure access. One way is to expand the scope of professionals who may provide written certification for qualifying patients to use medical cannabis. Authorizing naturopathic physicians to provide written certification for medical cannabis use to qualifying patients will increase patient access to medical cannabis, which is limited by the number of physicians and advanced practice registered nurses actively certifying qualified patients.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 S.B. No. 2476, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2476, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair