WHO: Representative Della Au Belatti (Makiki, Tantalus, Papakolea, McCully, Pawaa, Manoa), Chair of House Committee on Health

WHAT: Informational Briefing on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

WHEN: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 at 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: Conference Room 329

Honolulu, Hawaii – The House Committee on Health will be holding an informational briefing on medical marijuana dispensaries in light of several pending House bills proposing the legalization of such dispensaries in Hawaii. Medical marijuana is legal in Hawaii but there is no legal outlet to purchase it for authorized users.

The purpose of this informational briefing is to discuss the status and progress of the transition of Hawaii’s medical marijuana program from the Department of Public Safety to the Department of Health. Topics will include the status of rulemaking, requests for department staff, transition of monies into the special fund, issues and recommendations related to access to medical marijuana, and the role and feasibility of medical marijuana dispensaries. In addition to representatives from the Department of Health, this informational briefing will host the following speakers with knowledge and expertise in medical marijuana and marijuana dispensaries:

Mayor Robert Jacob of Sebastapol, California was elected to office in December, 2013 and is the first person from the medical marijuana industry to become mayor of an American city. He is the founder of Sebastapol’s first dispensary for medical marijuana, Peace in Medicine. Prior to becoming mayor, Mayor Jacob worked with HIV positive and disenfranchised youth and patients. He was named in the Top 40 under 40 list by the North Bay Business Journal for his leadership and acuity for business related matters. In addition to being Mayor, Jacobs currently serves as a City Liaison to Cittaslow, Sebastapol, a nonprofit organization that strives to preserve the town’s essence.

James Anthony is an Oakland-based attorney who specializes in medical cannabis dispensary land use law. He previously served as a nuisance prosecutor for Oakland, CA. Anthony is also the founder of PATH Consulting, which offers a wide range of consulting services for all aspects of medical cannabis regulation.

Charles Webb, M.D. is a board-certified doctor based in Kailua-Kona. He has practiced emergency medicine and urgent care for more than 35 years in California and Colorado. Dr. Webb is also a participating physician in Hawaii’s medical marijuana program since 2009, and is the founder of the MUM clinic, which certifies qualified residents of Hawaii for the medical use of marijuana. He is an expert in the medical use of cannabis and has a forthcoming article in the Hawaii Medical Journal entitled “Therapeutic Benefits of Cannabis: A Patient Survey.”

Karl Malivuk is a registered medical marijuana patient who has experienced different states’ medical marijuana programs. He relocated from New Mexico, where there are 23 medical marijuana dispensaries, to Hawaii, where there are none. Since moving to Hawaii, Malivuk has become a “blue card” holder, but with a lack of safe access to medical marijuana. He previously worked as a retired IT specialist at the University of New Mexico, and now lives in Honolulu.