STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2033

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1429

S.D. 2

H.D. 3

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1429, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Health to impose penalties and take enforcement actions for violations of the medical cannabis laws;

(2) Retroactively repeal the prohibition against primary caregivers cultivating medical cannabis for their qualifying patients and authorize primary caregivers to cultivate cannabis in an amount not to exceed an adequate supply for the qualifying patient;

(3) Extend until July 1, 2027, the effective date of certain interim rules adopted by the Department of Health related to the medical cannabis dispensary system; and

(4) Extend until June 30, 2029, the sunset date for the exemption from civil service of personnel hired by, or contracts entered into by, the Department of Health for purposes of the medical cannabis dispensary system.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Libertarian Party of Hawaii; Oahu Cannabis Farms Alliance; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii; Akamai Cannabis Consulting; and Hawaiʻi Cannabis Industry Association.

Your Committee finds that qualifying patients in Hawaii should have safe and legal access to medical cannabis through multiple authorized sources, including licensed dispensaries and caregivers. Your Committee further finds that the inclusion of enforcement authority in this measure is essential for effective regulation, maintaining compliance, protecting public health, and addressing emerging challenges in the evolving medical cannabis industry.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to upon approval; and

(2) 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1429, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1429, S.D. 2, H.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair