Question: I read with interest the news that companies are being approved to grow marijuana for medical use. My question is, Will their dispensaries be providing an edible or drinkable form?
Answer: No, not as state law now stands. However, a bill pending in the state Legislature would, if approved, authorize licensed medical marijuana dispensaries to manufacture and distribute edible and drinkable cannabis products beginning July 1, 2018.
The measure, Senate Bill 173, Senate Draft 1, has strong support from the Hawaii Dispensary Alliance, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii and other advocates, including patients who said pot-infused food and drink may be easier to ingest. The state departments of Public Safety and Transportation submitted testimony against the bill; the DOT said long-acting edibles could increase impaired driving in Hawaii, citing statistics from other states.
The bill would require that edible marijuana products be manufactured in a certified kitchen within a production center using marijuana grown in a production center; require each product to be tested and labeled for dosage and strength; prohibit gummies, brightly colored candies and other products that resemble other commercial products or might attract children; and allow liquid products that contain no more than 10 milligrams of activated tetrahydrocannabinol per serving. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
As originally written, the measure also would have lifted the prohibition on convicted felons working in the medical-marijuana industry, allowing such employment if the person hadn’t been imprisoned on a felony conviction in the five years immediately prior to employment. However, that language was excised in committee.
You can read the bill, testimony for and against it, and a related committee report at 808ne.ws/22sRADB.
The state Department of Health administers Hawaii’s medical-marijuana dispensary system per Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 329D. Although some advocates say the Health Department could have allowed edibles, the department insists otherwise. It says the only “manufactured marijuana products” that dispensaries are allowed to sell under the current law are capsules, lozenges (defined as small, dissolving tablets), pills, oils and oil extracts, tinctures, ointments and skin lotions, transdermal patches, and pre-filled and sealed containers used to aerosolize and deliver marijuana orally, such as with an inhaler or nebulizer.
We should mention that no Hawaii dispensary has opened yet.
Q: With the new bus fare structure going into effect in October, will the current senior (with ID) $1 fare be continued? This would benefit seniors who use the bus infrequently.
A: Yes, but as with all single-ride fares, transfers will no longer be available. Under the fare structure approved by the City Council and mayor, senior citizens with valid IDs will have the option of a $1 single-ride fare (no transfers), new $2 day pass, $5 monthly pass, $30 annual pass and $60 biennial pass.
Mahalo
While standing in line at McDonald’s in Pearl City, I met a young woman attired in red who was so pleasant to talk to. (It helps to pass the time while you wait to place your order.)
We both came from a large family and worked hard while trying to attain an education, and managed to survive. I’m an octogenarian and she’s probably 50 years younger, but I admired her will to succeed in life like I did.
I didn’t hear her talking to the worker (ears not working well), but she paid for my takeout order. My appreciation and mahalo for her kindness. — A grateful senior citizen
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
