The Hawaii House of Representatives has voted to approve a Senate passed bill supporting clinical research for psychedelics-assisted therapy using MDMA and psilocybin.
On Wednesday, the Finance Committee unanimously voted 15-0 to advance the legislation from Senator Chris Lee (D), about two weeks after it cleared the first panel of the House.
According to the Senate’s approval last month of the proposal, it would set up a state fund called the “mental health special fund” which could be utilized for subsidized clinical trials and public-private partnership research. It also allows the development of state programs centered around the “compassionate usage” by patients.
The Senate’s proposal was amended by the House prior to this committee. The bill structure was changed to include a pilot two-year program that would fall under the Office of Wellness and Resilience, rather than the Department of Health.
A million dollars per year would be invested by the government, and matched with private funding. Over the course of the program, this could amount to $4 million.
The bill defines “emerging therapy” as substances approved by either the FDA or Hawaii’s state laws, as well compounds that are undergoing FDA-approved studies.
Compassionate use, on the other hand, means “treating people with terminal or life-threatening illnesses,” which includes mental conditions that resist treatment.
The bill does not list any specific conditions. However, a Senate Health and Human Services Committee report, which had previously advanced the proposal, mentioned depression, anxiety and schizophrenia as being “widely prevalent and affecting many millions of people worldwide and in the community.”
According to a report of a Senate committee that also approved the measure, the Committee on Ways and Means (CWM), “the research and special fund that will be established by this bill and supported through it, will assist patients in accessing innovative mental health treatment.”
The committee received 100 pages worth of testimony in advance of the next meeting. This was from government agencies, advocacy organizations and individuals.
OWR would oversee the initiative for psychedelics. The measure, according to OWR “provides a significant opportunity for creating a path for those who need it to access innovative, potentially life-saving treatment for mental health and trauma challenges within the context closely monitored clinical studies.”
It did ask that legislators consider other amendments. The draft language it provided was to extend the authorization of this bill to include “contracting, regulatory approvals and adopting any rules needed.”
Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions VETS also supported the bill, stating that “other states took important steps but Hawaii has an opportunity to take the Next Giant Leap in Psychedelic Leadership.”
Hawaii said that by making an even larger investment and creating a program with more ambition, it could go beyond Texas’s and other states’ foundational efforts. “This would be a bold initiative—one that ensures veterans can access these therapies now while also contributing to the broader national conversation on how to best integrate psychedelic treatments into our healthcare system. Hawaii can set a precedent in the field of psychedelics medicine.
Jesse MacLachlan of Reason for Hope’s state policy and advocacy department submitted testimony stating that this bill is “a crucial step towards addressing the increasing burden of trauma related mental health conditions.”
“Psychedelic-assisted therapies, including MDMA and psilocybin, are showing exceptional promise in clinical trials, offering rapid and durable relief where traditional treatments fall short,” MacLachlan said. It is our duty to all Hawaiians, including Veterans and first responders who suffer from mental illness, to find the best treatment available.
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In February, the Senate narrowly rejected a proposal to increase fivefold how much cannabis a person can possess before they face criminal charges. The body voted 12–11 against the decriminalization measure, SB 319, from Sen. Joy San Buenaventura (D).
The amount of marijuana that is decriminalized on Hawaii would be increased to 15 grams if the law had been passed. The possession of up to 15 grams of marijuana would be considered a civil offense punishable with a $130 fine.
Separate Senate legislation that would legalize marijuana for adults has also been stuck in the session. SB 1613 was still in its committee even though a deadline for the session had passed last month.
While advocates feel there’s sufficient support for the legalization proposal in the Senate, it’s widely believed that House lawmakers would ultimately scuttle the measure, as they did lasts month with a legalization companion bill, HB 1246.
Though it is unclear whether legislators will take advantage of these legislative maneuvers, some observers have pointed out that the Senate Legalization Bill may be revived this session.
Last session, a Senate-passed legalization bill also fizzled out in the House.
The House vote to stall the bill came just days after approval from a pair of committees at a joint hearing. Before the hearing, nearly 300 pages were submitted by state agencies and advocacy organizations, as well as members of the public.
Over the course of this legislative session, legislation will be introduced to permit healthcare providers, rather than only those with specific ailments, to recommend cannabis as a treatment for conditions they think it could benefit.
Separately in January the House Committee on Labor voted unanimously to move forward legislation protecting state-registered patients of medical marijuana from discrimination at work. This bill (HB 325) hasn’t yet been considered by the Senate.
This past fall, regulators solicited proposals to assess the state’s current medical marijuana program—and also sought to estimate demand for recreational sales if the state eventually moves forward with adult-use legalization. Others interpreted the move to be a signal that regulators needed to get ready for the reform.
Hawaii passed a medical cannabis law in its state legislature. This was done by the Hawaii State Legislature.
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Dick Culbert is the photographer.
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