|
Greenwell: I'd like to commend Brandon if people haven't read that report, very well
<br />written, it was a good report.
<br />Nishimoto: And it was a good trip, you had said it was a very good trip. Okay,
<br />anything else?
<br />Okabe: I had a question about, you know on the second page, the second paragraph
<br />about the cannabis, what is that saying? Being used in cocktails as well, Panel 3, the
<br />second paragraph.
<br />Gonzalez: Right, so there's a trend where they're adding the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)
<br />to cocktails, or they were already providing edibles in certain bars on the mainland, so that's
<br />something that more jurisdictions are becoming aware of as more states are getting asked if
<br />they can allow it or not. And then, sometimes they're not being added to alcohol cocktails, but
<br />they're being served in a bar. So, there's your regular standard alcohol drinks, but there's also
<br />THC-infused (tetrahydrocannabinol-infused) drinks with no alcohol also being offered in the bar.
<br />And so, there's a question on how that's going to be regulated, and what the duties are of the
<br />licensee. As you guys are aware, that have gone to some of the trainings, we do have states
<br />that the regulation of marijuana and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is also done by their Liquor
<br />Enforcement Agency, they have a dual role. We're not there yet, in fact our State was exploring
<br />it, so that's why a lot of the discussion came up to talk about the trends and how the business
<br />models are changing and evolving, so it was that type of discussion.
<br />Okabe: But reading that at our conference, they never talked about those kind of things
<br />yeah, you know what I mean?
<br />Takase: I think they have at the national level, they've been talking.
<br />Okabe: Oh, the national level, but not at our convention in Maui, they didn't talk about
<br />that.
<br />Takase: Although, nationwide most of the liquor departments are run by the state, we're one
<br />of the few that is drilled down to the county level. So, it's kind of unnatural for them once they
<br />start again, I think there's probably a dozen states down there that have approved marijuana.
<br />Most of them by and large have attached it to their liquor departments, so it's a
<br />big increase for them. I talked to the Oregon guy, he says they went from 100 agents or 100
<br />employees, and with marijuana they added 300 more people to their staff, so it's a big deal
<br />because once they decriminalize marijuana, they're going to defund portions of the police
<br />department. I don't see us going the same route because I think we will get to recreational
<br />marijuana one of these days, but since we're a county -run organization, I don't see the State
<br />giving up the revenue from that to the counties. It's like tobacco, they kept it all up at their level
<br />even though they keep asking us to do enforcement for them. But same thing, I don't think
<br />they'll give up their revenue, they'll keep it up at their level. And so, we will probably resist
<br />taking over any of that.
<br />MINUTES - LIQUOR COMMISSION MEETING & PUBLIC HEARING - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2024 - HILO PAGE 18 OF 30
<br />
|