STAND. COM. REP. NO. 161

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 241

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 241 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize qualifying patients and qualifying out-of-state patients to transport cannabis between islands of the State for personal medical use.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Big Island Grown Dispensaries, Community Alliance on Prisons, Hawai‘i Cannabis Industry Association, Marijuana Policy Project, and six individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Health, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Transportation,

Your Committees find that currently licensed medical cannabis dispensaries are located only on Oahu, Hawaii island, Maui, and Kauai. Because there are no dispensaries on Molokai, Lanai, and Niihau, qualifying patients living on those islands have less access to legal medical cannabis than qualifying patients residing on other islands. Your Committees further find that the legal transport of medical cannabis would allow both qualifying patients and qualifying out-of-state patients to travel freely without fear of prosecution for possessing cannabis that has been legally obtained or possessed under state law. This measure assures access to legal medical cannabis to qualifying patients regardless of where they live or where they travel within the State.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Transportation that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 241 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Transportation,

________________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair