STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2621

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2916

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2916 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to update the state Uniform Controlled Substances Act to make it consistent with the federal Controlled Substances Act.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Akamai Cannabis Clinic.

Your Committees find that existing law mandates that the Department of Public Safety report to the Legislature prior to the convening of each regular session regarding any additions, deletions, or revisions to the schedule of substances in the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. This measure will conform Hawaii's law with federal law by expanding schedule I of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act and avoid nullification of certain controlled substances that were temporarily designated as schedule I substances by the Department of Public Safety, but were subsequently made permanent by federal law in 2019.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2916, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2916, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair