State senators are taking up a proposal to develop a system of medical marijuana dispensaries.

Lawmakers are pushing plans to give patients legal access to the drug nearly 15 years after medical marijuana became legal in Hawaii. The proposal would allow a minimum of 26 dispensaries.

A Senate committee debated the proposal on Friday. The bill has already passed in the House.

The Honolulu Police Department is against the idea. The department says if lawmakers pass the bill they should change it to permit just one permit for each county.

Sen. Will Espero asks why law enforcement is against the proposal when many medical marijuana patients are buying drugs on the black market.

The state attorney general says island-hopping with medical marijuana could be a problem.