STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3053

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3315

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 3315, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CANNABIS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Allow applicants or primary caregivers to make a one‑time purchase of medical cannabis after the submission of the applicant's certification form while waiting for confirmation of registration from the Department of Health; and

(2) Require the Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation to facilitate the temporary authorization.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Cannabis Industry Association, Marijuana Policy Project, Hawaiʻi Alliance for Cannabis Reform, Big Island Grown Dispensaries, Green Aloha LTD, Manoa Botanicals, and three individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one member of the Kauaʻi County Council.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that the bureaucratic process to obtain medical cannabis, which requires a physical registration card, is inconsistent with how other medically necessary treatments are handled in the State's health care system. Furthermore, delays in access do not just inconvenience patients, they can exacerbate pain, anxiety, and chronic symptoms. This measure aligns registration procedures with real-world patient needs in a thoughtful, responsible manner that ensures patient safety.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of March 22, 2075, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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. 3315, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3315, S.D. 2.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair