THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

76

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the Department of Health to providE an explanation as to why It has not issued any ADDITIONAL medical cannabis dispensary licenses pursuant to section 329D-2(j), Hawaii Revised Statues.

 

 


     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:

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Report Title: 

Medical Cannabis Dispensaries; Licensure; Report; Department of Health