| 41 | | - | WHEREAS, Hawaii and twenty-seven other states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories of Guam and Puerto Rico have legalized the use of medical cannabis for the treatment of certain qualifying medical conditions; and WHEREAS, recreational cannabis has been legalized in fifteen states and the District of Columbia; and WHEREAS, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, as of February 2021, states reported a combined total of $6,900,000,000 in tax revenue from legal, adult-use marijuana sales; and WHEREAS, the State's main economic engine is tourism, and visitor numbers continue to increase year-over-year; and WHEREAS, visitors from states with legal adult recreational cannabis account for approximately one-third of the total annual visitors to Hawaii; and WHEREAS, the State has a need for additional tax revenue for a number of unfunded and underfunded mandates and priorities, as well as for new investments and enterprise; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation in collaboration with the Chairpersons of the Senate Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Homelessness, is requested to convene the Medical and Adult Use Cannabis Working Group to research, develop, and finalize recommendations for the creation of a dual use regulatory system allowing access to medical cannabis and cannabis for adult use; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Working Group is requested to be comprised of the following members: (1) The Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Health and Human Services, or the Chairperson's designee, who is requested to serve as co-chair; (2) The Chairperson of the House Standing Committee on Health and Homelessness, or the Chairperson's designee, who is requested to serve as co-chair; (3) The Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Environment, or the Chairperson's designee; (4) The Chairperson of the House Standing Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems, or the Chairperson's designee; (5) The Attorney General, or the Attorney General's designee; (6) The Director of Health, or the Director's designee; (7) The Director of Agriculture, or the Director's designee; (8) The Director of Taxation, or the Director's designee; (9) The Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, or the Prosecuting Attorney's designee; (10) A police chief chosen by the Hawaii Law Enforcement Coalition, or the police chief's designee; (11) A representative of the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii; (12) A representative from the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii; and (13) Four qualifying patients registered with Hawaii's Medical Cannabis Registry Program, one of whom is a patient over the age of eighteen, one whom is a patient or guardian of a patient who is under the age of ten, one whom is a named caregiver of a patient, and one of whom is a representative on a licensed dispensary; and (14) Any other participants identified in consultation with the Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation, and the Chairpersons of the Senate Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and House Standing Committee on Health and Homelessness; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Working Group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than ten days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Attorney General, Director of Health, Director of Agriculture, Director of Taxation, Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, and Chief of Police of the police department of each County. Report Title: Medical Cannabis Dispensaries; Licensure; Report; Department of Health |
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| 41 | + | WHEREAS, chapter 329D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which governs the State's medical cannabis dispensary system, was enacted in 2015; and WHEREAS, pursuant to section 329D-2(d), Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Department of Health issued eight dispensary licenses statewide, including three for the City and County of Honolulu, two each for the County of Hawaii and the County of Maui, and one for the County of Kauai; and WHEREAS, section 329D-2(j), Hawaii Revised Statues, requires the Department of Health to determine, based on the qualifying patient need, whether additional dispensary licenses shall be offered to qualified applicants in the State after October 1, 2018, under certain conditions; and WHEREAS, despite applications filed by numerous entities for issuance of these additional medical cannabis dispensary licenses, the Department of Health has not issued any additional licenses, and has stopped accepting new applications; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Department of Health is requested to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024, providing: (1) An explanation as to why the Department has not issued any additional medical cannabis dispensary licenses pursuant to section 329D-2(j), Hawaii Revised Statues, after October 1, 2018; (2) An explanation as to why the Department has stopped accepting applications for medical cannabis dispensary licenses; and (3) Any recommendations, including any proposed legislation, that would promote the Department's issuance of additional medical cannabis dispensary licenses; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, Mayor of the County of Maui, Mayor of the County of Kauai, and Mayor of the County of Hawaii. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Medical Cannabis Dispensaries; Licensure; Report; Department of Health |
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