Editorial: More medical cannabis

Hawaii’s medical cannabis dispensary network has been growing, and the business sector would like it to grow more. Officials at the state Department of Health, meanwhile, don’t want that process outpacing their own ability to keep things in line.

Michele Nakata, program manager of the department’s Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation, appeared before the Senate health and consumer protection committees last week to testify on House Bill 2260. The measure aims to improve access to the products that registered patients can use for various illnesses.

This is happening at the same time the product list itself has expanded. DOH has approved revisions to its dispensary rules, which now allow for a wider array of edible products containing the active ingredients in medical cannabis. Now gummies, chocolates, beverages, brownies, cookies and other items can be sold.

As for HB 2260, which the committees passed on for a pivotal review by the Judiciary and Ways and Means panels, Nakata said the department “absolutely supports” the objective of improving access to the products.

Chronic understaffing at DOH is what’s in the way: Nakata said all the growth has occurred with only herself and two inspectors providing supervision.

“Continued growth of this dispensary system without adequate personnel to provide the right amount of oversight pretty much amounts to an unregulated system, and that jeopardizes public and patient safety,” she told the committees on Tuesday.

On top of that, there was some rational concern aired about patients opting for the legal grow-your-own route, taking advantage of an allowance in the law to designate another grower to supply them. These are growers who are not held to the same standards or given the same oversight as those who supply the dispensary products, Nakata said.

The primary worry at the health department seems to be about capacity, and ability to set the fees where they need to be for the system to sustain itself with staffing. That makes sense.

The department also would like more of the needed fixes to be made through administrative rulemaking, under DOH control. There’s sure to be some push and pull over that as the bill advances.

More than half the ayes in each committee were “with reservations,” so expect more changes in the next go-round.