As of July 2018, Hawaii’s Department of Health will be accessible to patients who reside outside of the state. The state medical cannabis program will be made available to islanders and visitors who descend on the volcanic archipelago.

Patients will notice that Hawaii’s medical cannabis program has expanded in various areas, with some of the most noteworthy changes pertaining to dispensary access. Doctors will now be able to supply patients with certifications, of which will be valid for three years. Previously, certifications were only valid for a single year. Furthermore, vape pens will now be stocked inside Hawaiian dispensaries.

“As we implement these amendments, our foremost objective is to provide equitable access to medical cannabis for qualifying patients without compromising patient and product safety as well as public safety,” stated Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson.

“These new laws benefit both Hawai’i patients as well as those from other states who are visiting our islands.”

Visitors to Hawaii can pay $50 online for medical cannabis card

Medical cannabis patients who live outside of the State of Hawaii cannot simply walk into a dispensary and acquire their plant-based treatment. The new rules outline how out-of-state patients with medical cannabis prescriptions must first gain approval from Hawaii State’s Department of Health.

The application fee is $50 and once approved, medical cannabis patients visiting Hawaii will receive a registration card. All cards will be valid for 60 days and can be used to buy medical cannabis products inside Hawaii dispensaries. Licenses can be extended for an additional 60 days in the calendar year, if necessary.

As many as 30,000 cards will be made available per year, with 5,000 visitors expected to receive cards within the first year, according to Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiian dispensaries will not carry tobacco-related products

Among the many types of medicinal cannabis products that will be made available to patients who enter Hawaiian dispensaries, tobacco-related products are exempt. New vape pens, otherwise known as safe pulmonary administration (SPA) products, that have been added to store shelves must not contain nicotine or non-cannabis-derived ingredients, such as synthetic terpenes.

“The amendment was based on a finding that SPA devices allow more precise dosage administration and can be more effective for certain patients,” reads the statement.

Under the rules set out in Hawaii’s medical cannabis program, testing protocols have been tweaked. In the event that the cannabis-based products are not up to state patient safety standards, dispensaries can retest same/different samples from same/different laboratories.

The Department of Health will decide whether the cannabis-based products require further testing, should there be disparities in the results.

Hawaii’s medical cannabis program allows teleconferencing

Another amendment to Hawaii’s medical cannabis program is the consultation process. Patients will now be able to communicate with doctors via teleconferencing. Parents (one or both) and guardians may apply as caregivers for one or more minor patients with qualifying conditions for medical cannabis. (The same rule applies for out-of-state minors.)

A working group will be developed by Hawaii’s Department of Health. The group will discuss issues that need attention, such as regulations for edibles. A final report will be issued at the beginning of next year, when two new dispensaries will open their doors in the state of Hawaii. Currently, six dispensaries are in operation.