From the Hawaii Tribune-Herald:

Gov. Neil Abercrombie is likely to sign two bills on his desk aimed at making marijuana a more mainstream medicine, according to Sen. Josh Green, D-Kona, a physician who, as chairman of the Senate Health Committee, has been working on reforming the state’s 13-year-old medical marijuana law.

“The fundamental purpose is to make medical marijuana a health issue rather than a public safety or police issue,” Green said Monday. “I just really want to put it into mainstream medicine.”

One of the bills, HB 668, transfers administration of the medical marijuana program from the Department of Public Safety to the Department of Health by Jan. 1, 2015.

The other, SB 642, increases the amount of marijuana allowed for each patient, but requires the patient’s primary care physician to certify the need for medical marijuana. Currently, any physician is allowed to certify the need for the medical marijuana “blue card.” Read the full story.

And here’s the latest in other neighbor isle gov’t and politics:

Maui landfill reopens, fire contained

Coco Palms tour gives glimpse of resort’s glory days

MECO customers to receive refund

West Hawaii sheriff shortage causing courthouse concerns

HELCO bills increasing 1.6 percent

Molokai Big Wind: not as big

Kauai County launches recycling campaign

Waikoloa is added to FAA flight maps

Club Lanai site redevelopment gets panel OK

Kona Airport medical pot conviction overturned

Photo courtesy AudioVision – Public Radio, Visualized.

—Chad Blair