STAND. COM. REP. NO.  916

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 667

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 667, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to address the concerns of Hawaii's seriously ill patients by amending provisions of the Hawaii medical use of marijuana law.

 

     The Community Alliance on Prisons, Americans for Safe Access, Drug Policy Action Group, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of the Attorney General, Department of Public Safety, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Honolulu Police Department, and one concerned individual testified in opposition to the bill.  The Department of Health and one concerned individual provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing language that would have provided immunity from searches, seizures, and prosecution for marijuana-related offenses for qualifying patients transporting medical marijuana;

 

     (2)  Specifying that Hawaii medical marijuana authorization will be extended to qualified patients from out-of-state only if the visiting patients have in their possession a valid registry identification card issued in another jurisdiction of the United States;

 

     (3)  Clarifying that any visiting qualified patient who is in Hawaii for thirty-one days or more shall register with the State's medical use of marijuana program;

 

     (4)  Requiring each primary caregiver to include the number of qualifying patients for which they are responsible in their registration with the Department of Health and to notify the Department in writing of any change to that number;

 

     (5)  Requiring that the number of qualified patients for whom a primary caregiver is responsible be included on any registration card issued to the primary caregiver; and

 

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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 H.B. No. 667, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 667, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair