A somewhat bizarre piece of legislation. We understand the thinking but really!
Marijuana Moment reports
A Hawaii Senate committee on Monday approved a bill to make it so people 65 and older can automatically qualify for medical marijuana, regardless of whether they have a diagnosed condition that would otherwise make them eligible.
Critics at state agencies say this effectively amounts to legalizing recreational cannabis for the older population without creating a broader regulated adult-use market like the ones that exist in other states.
The bill cleared the Senate Health Committee unanimously 3-0, with two members absent from the vote. This action came days after that the panel advanced separate legislation related to establishing a working group to study the therapeutic potential of psilocybin mushrooms.
The text of the marijuana proposal, which was slightly amended by the panel prior to passage, first discusses the wide range of conditions like chronic pain that studies indicate cannabis can help treat. It says that medical marijuana has “been demonstrated to positively help with these often-recurring health issues, resulting in a better quality of life.”
“The legislature further finds that such conditions have been broadly exacerbated by the pandemic, economic instability, and increasing uncertainty in recent years,” it says. “Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to make it easier for senior citizens to access the state medical cannabis program.”
The bill would make a simple statutory change to the state’s existing medical marijuana law. As it stands, only patients diagnosed “as having a debilitating medical condition” by a doctor qualify for the program. That would be expanded to also include anyone “who has reached the age of sixty-five.”
Hawaii Senate Committee Approves Bill To Legalize Marijuana For Senior Citizens 65 And Older
