STAND. COM. REP. NO. 744

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 465

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 465, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs 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; provided that no individual or entity shall be required to violate federal law.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i, Akamai Cannabis Consulting, and five individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Transportation and Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that patients sometime need to travel interisland with their medical cannabis in order to get treatment for their health. This measure will specifically allow qualifying patients to travel interisland with their medical cannabis.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that no individual or entity shall be required to violate federal law with regard to the interstate transport of cannabis;

(2) Specifying that state law and its protections apply only within the jurisdictional limits of the State, which extend twelve nautical miles from the perimeter of each island and connect Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe;

(3) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

(4) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 465, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 465, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair