STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2093-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.C.R. No. 221

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 221 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CURRENT PRICES OF AND ACCESS TO MEDICAL CANNABIS AND THE VOLUME OF ILLICIT CANNABIS SALES IN THE STATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a study on the relationship between the current prices of and access to medical cannabis and the volume of illicit cannabis sales in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Marijuana Policy Project. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Auditor.

Your Committee finds that medical cannabis dispensaries licensed under the State's dispensary law have averaged only a thirty-one percent market share of the State's registered medical cannabis patients, with the remaining sixty-nine percent of patients either purchasing medical cannabis from the illicit market or using cannabis grown by themselves or their caregivers. Your Committee further finds that a lack of access to licensed dispensaries, as well as the price of medical cannabis purchased from a licensed dispensary, may be contributing to the high rate of illicit medical cannabis purchases. The study requested by this measure will enable policymakers to better understand the relationship between current prices of and access to medical cannabis and the volume of illicit cannabis sales in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requesting the Legislative Reference Bureau, rather than the Auditor, to conduct the study;

(2) Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 221, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 221, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair