STAND. COM. REP. NO. 469-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1952

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1952, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Provide that medical cannabis dispensaries may purchase cannabis and manufactured cannabis products from other dispensaries without any showing that the purchase is:

(A) Necessary for a qualifying patient's continuous access; or

(B) For medical, scientific, or other legitimate purposes; and

(2) Require the Department of Health to adopt rules no later than nine months after a medical cannabis product is statutorily permitted to be manufactured and distributed.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Cannabis Industry Association; Cure Oahu; Cannabis Society of Hawaiʻi; and Rainbow Family 808. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Health Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Akamai Cannabis Consulting.

Your Committee finds that, despite recent legislative attempts to allow wholesale of medical cannabis between medical cannabis dispensaries, wholesale currently occurs on an emergency basis with an under thirty days request and approval process, or on a proof of need basis requiring over thirty days request and approval process. Your Committee further finds that the existing rules also provide the Department of Health with full discretion to reject requests with no specific timeline to respond. This measure will expedite wholesale transactions of medical cannabis between existing medical cannabis dispensaries and place a time limit on rulemaking to allow distribution of products in a timely manner.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1952, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair