The Hawaii Dispensary Alliance is pleased to announce that HB 2707 HD1, our medical marijuana omnibus bill, has crossed over to the Senate, passed first reading, and will soon be heard by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection & Health. HB 2707, is based on language and concerns first championed by the Alliance and its members at the Joint Health Committee Informational Briefing in December, and it now incorporates the language from Alliance’s HB 2708 as well. HB 2707 is the only medical marijuana related bill to make crossover from the House to the Senate this session and the Alliance is excited that we have reached the halfway point in getting the bill passed, but our job is not done yet!
Today, the Senate scheduled the next hearing for this coming Tuesday, March 15th, at 9:00AM in Conference Room 229, before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection & Health. The five item committee agenda can be found here: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2016/hearingnotices/HEARING_CPH_03-15-16_.HTM
We kindly ask for you to support this measure through your written testimony. Instructions for submitting testimony are provided on the capitol.hawaii.gov website and in the February Edition of the HDA Industry Update. Please make sure that you give yourself ample time to draft, review, and submit your testimony before the submittal deadline – Monday, March 14th at 9:00 AM.
With your help and testimony, our omnibus bill will continue to shape Hawai‘i’s newest industry through:
- The creation of a commission to oversee the industry
- Collection and provision of data to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism for analysis
- Amendment of the Internal Revenue Code to provide normal business deductions to dispensaries
- Updates to the laboratory specifications
- Clarification of the subcontractor requirements for dispensaries
- The inclusion of an affirmative defense for Paraphernalia related charges
- The ability for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to issue certifications for patients
- The removal of the requirement that patients pass a criminal background check before being allowed into a dispensary.
The full status of the current bill can be found here: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2707
We will be sure to keep you updated with any developments as these measures make their way through the hearing gauntlet. If you have any questions for us or comments that we can incorporate into our own testimony, don’t hesitate to let us know. As always, thank you again for your consideration and your partnership as we usher in Hawai‘i’s newest industry!
If you want to receive these updates sooner, along with pre-written testimony and more direct incorporation of your comments into our legislative advocacy, Join the Alliance today! You’ll also receive the HDA Industry Update every month, Hawaii’s premier industry publication, and access to our growing network of the businesses and individuals who make up this new economy. Take an active role in the future of Hawai‘i’s medical marijuana industry, join the Alliance, and we will send you the March 2016 edition of the HDA Industry Update absolutely free to say thank you for your interest! You can also find us on Facebook or Twitter.