STAND. COM. REP. NO. 164-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 814

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 814 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CANNABIS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for:

(1) The Department of Health to develop and implement a comprehensive public health and informational campaign on youth cannabis use and its impact on public health and safety;

(2) Grants for community-based organizations to provide evidence-based services to prevent substance misuse among youth; and

(3) Grants for community-based organizations provide evidence-based services to treat substance use disorder among youth.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of City and County of Honolulu; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Big Island Substance Abuse Council; Hina Mauka; Hawaiʻi Family Forum; Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii; Bobby Benson Center; Drug Policy Forum of Hawaiʻi; and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that the evolving landscape of cannabis use among youth, including increased public acceptance, declining perception of risk, and the availability of higher potency products has led to an increase in youth cannabis use. Your Committee further finds that there is general agreement from available data that there is no beneficial use of cannabis in children and that there is extensive evidence that cannabis use causes serious and permanent harm to developing brains. This measure is intended to address the growing harm presented by increased cannabis use by appropriating funds to support prevention and treatment efforts to reduce cannabis use by Hawaii's youth.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the preamble;

(2) Removing appropriations for fiscal year 2025-2026;

(3) Requiring the Department of Health to contract with community-based organizations to provide services for the prevention and treatment of substance use disorder among youth, rather than administer grants;

(4) Extending the Department of Health's report date to prior to the Regular Session of 2028, rather than 2027;

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(6) 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 that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 814, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 814, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair