Medical Marijuana Dispensary Update: Talking Law with David Sereno

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Maui County’s medical marijuana dispensaries have yet to open, although they legally were allowed to begin business in Hawai‘i on July 15, 2016.  Attorney-at-law David Sereno shares some of the latest information in terms of what’s legal, in the first of our 2017 “Talking Law” video series.

Once inventory is ready and state-run testing facilities are running, medical marijuana cardholders will be able to buy a maximum of four ounces in a 15-day period (and no more than eight ounces within 30 days).  Marijuana and cannabis products will include capsules, lozenges, pills, oils and oil extracts, tinctures, ointments and skin lotion.  Sereno says even vaporized concentrates, known as “e-cigs,” may be allowed.

Initially, there will be 16 dispensaries throughout Hawai‘i to serve the state’s 14,000 medical marijuana patients.  Six dispensaries will be located on O‘ahu, four on Hawai‘i island, four in Maui County (two dispensaries per license), and two on Kauai. However, due to federal restrictions, patients will not be able to travel with their medicine, which poses issues for Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i residents who will have to come to Maui to purchase from a dispensary.

According to the Hawai‘i Dispensary Alliance, medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawai‘i are projected to generate between $12 million and $38 million in revenue in the first year of operations.  That number may grow to more than $80 million by 2018, depending on the increase of medical marijuana cardholders and how much patients spend at dispensaries.