After what many feel was a long wait, legislation to establish medical dispensaries in Hawaii for the state’s 14,000+ medical consumers has become law.
House Bill 321 allows the state to issue eight dispensary licenses state wide, with restrictions as to how many can be in each city. Up to two production centers would be allowed for each dispensary license at 3,000 plants each. Each license also grants two retail dispensing locations.
Rules are still being finalized. Shops are expected to be operational by July of 2016. Once shops open up, registered medical marijuana consumers are eligible to purchase up to four ounces every 15 days.
An additional provision of the law added PTSD as a qualifying condition under the state’s medical law.
Hawaii medical marijuana consumers were previously allowed to grow and possess cannabis, but this will be the first time Hawaii has seen a dispensary market.
Governor David Ige signed the measure, stating, “I support the establishment of dispensaries to ensure that qualified cardholders can legally and safely access medical marijuana. We know that our challenge going forward will be to adopt rules that are fair, cost effective and easy to monitor. The bill sets a timeline. We will make a good faith effort to create a fair process that will help the people most in need.”