Committee backs $12 million package for youth cannabis prevention, treatment and outreach

Chair Greg Takayama told members the committee would consider HB 814, a carryover measure that would appropriate funds to the Department of Health for a youth-focused cannabis information and services program and require DOH to administer grants or contracts to community organizations.

Deputy Attorney General Michelle Nakata advised the committee on legal drafting: if the intent is procurement of services the bill should use contract language; if the intent is grants, statutory grant standards should be added. "If the intent is for the department to award grants to community based organizations, we recommend that the bill be amended to include the appropriate grant standards," she said.

John Valera of DOH’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division said the department supports the bill and will coordinate an information campaign with prevention and treatment services if funded. He described an existing DOH campaign (Clear the Haze) and said the bill’s funds would expand service delivery and could be structured so contracts include measurable metrics.

Supporters from the prosecutor’s office, treatment providers and advocacy groups — including Vinnie McFarland for the city prosecutor’s office, Alan Johnson (Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition) and Brian Baker (Hina Mauka) — urged the investment, arguing that other states’ dedicated funding helped reduce youth use after legalization. Mary Elizabeth Pacheco, a parent advocate, cited recent youth data and said nearly 1 in 10 high school students (9.5%) used cannabis with nicotine in the past 30 days.

Members asked DOH whether HB 814 would duplicate current efforts, how much of the funding would go to messaging versus services, and whether contracts would include performance metrics and school-based outreach; DOH said the bill would supplement the existing campaign, that contract language can require metrics, and that the department would share more details on the ongoing campaign on request.

The chair proposed drafting changes per the Attorney General (changing grants to contracts) and clarified the fiscal-year language so appropriations would be for FY 2027: $2,000,000 for the informational campaign, $5,000,000 for prevention contracts, and $5,000,000 for treatment services. The committee adopted the recommendation; two members recorded reservations about the level of funding and the clarity of spending plans. The bill will move forward with the committee's house draft.