STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1159

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 542

H.D. 1

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 Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 542, H.D. 1, 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 remove cannabidiol drugs that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration from the State's list of Schedule V substances for consistency with federal law.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety and three individuals.

Your Committees find that section 329—11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires that the State's list of controlled substances comport with the list of controlled substances under federal law. Your Committees also find that the federal Food and Drug Administration recently approved the prescription drug Epidiolex, and generic versions of that drug, which is a plant-derived prescription cannabinoid product used to treat seizures associated with certain types of epilepsy. This measure brings state law in conformity with federal law by removing federally-approved cannabidiol drugs from the State's schedule V list of controlled substances.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 542, H.D. 1, 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 Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair