Honolulu, HI: The Hawaii legislature has approved legislation to establish the formation of an eleven-member task force to investigate options for providing legal cannabis for Hawaii’s state-qualified medical cannabis patients. The bill now awaits action from Gov. Linda Lingle (R).
An estimated 3,000 Hawaiians are registered to use medical cannabis under state law.
As approved by the legislature, House Bill 2675 calls on the task force to make recommendations regarding “the feasibility of developing safe growing facilities … for qualified patients with written certification to grow medical marijuana for their medical use.” The task force is also mandated to review statewide guidelines authorizing the amount of medical cannabis patients may legally use and possess under state law.
The task force must submit its recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2009 regular session.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org or visit: http://www.mccfdia.com. Full text of the bill is available online at: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/bills/HB2675_HD2_.htm.