Hawaiian Governor Vetoes Bill to Allow Medical Cannabis as an Opioid Treatment

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he governor of Hawaii, David Ige, recently vetoed several bills including Senate Bill 2407, which would have allowed for the use of medical cannabis to treat opioid and substance abuse and withdrawal symptoms. He mentioned, however, that Hawaiian citizens have the right to request to add qualifying conditions via a petition letter.

SB-2407 passed with a large majority in May, but Gov. Ige made it known that he intended to veto the legislation and followed through on Tuesday, vetoing that bill along with several others. According to a statement released last month, Ige felt the additional definition without citizen input was not necessary due to cannabis regulation structure. “The Department of Health already has a formal evidenced-based petition process, made available annually to patients and physicians, so patients and physicians can apply to add qualifying conditions to the list of uses for medical cannabis.”

However, members of the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii opposed his veto, calling the decision “misguided.” “As a state that pioneered the legalization of medical cannabis, and now has dispensaries serving the patient population, it makes sense that we embrace this kind of progressive outlook rather than bury it in process that will lead to prolonged suffering,” said Executive Director Carl Bergquist.

Research is showing medical cannabis reduces opiate abuse, and three U.S. states have already added opiate addiction to their list of qualifying conditions. “This is a life or death issue,” said Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, shared her thoughts in the statement. “We know that states that administer medical cannabis programs have much lower opioid addiction rates, and opioid overdoses drop by an average of 25 percent.”

Other bills that were vetoed included requiring 90-day public notice of planned community associations in agricultural or conservation lands; leasing public library lands to generate income for the libraries; a bill that would exempt certain political campaign signs from certain disclaimer requirements, and imposing a transient tax on certain resort fees.