STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2592

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.B. No. 2586

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2586 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to permit qualifying patients to be reimbursed by health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations for amounts spent on medical cannabis and manufactured cannabis products.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Cannabis Industry Association, Pono Life Maui, Aloha Green Holdings Inc., Kush Hawaii, and seven individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Akamai Cannabis Clinic, and Hawaii Medical Service Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that a legislative oversight working group was established by Act 230, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, to develop and recommend legislation to improve the medical cannabis dispensary system in the State to ensure safe and legal access to medical cannabis for qualifying patients.  One of the topics considered by the working group was the potential for medical cannabis to be reimbursable via health insurance and workers' compensation.  However, because the issues surrounding the topic of insurance reimbursement for medical cannabis are extremely complex, a separate working group was established to specifically address this topic, demonstrating how critical it is to further examine the complexities of the topic of making medical cannabis reimbursable by health insurance to support patient access.

 

     Your Committee notes that the reimbursement by health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations for medical cannabis and manufactured cannabis products would not constitute a new benefit, but simply be another drug covered by an existing health plan's drug benefit program.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2586, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2586, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

 

 

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair