In-State Medical Cannabis Patients Offered Two-Year Certification Renewal

The Hawai‘i Department of Health will allow two-year certification renewal for in-state medical cannabis patients starting on Thursday.

Beginning July 18, 2019, the DOH will allow qualifying patients to renew their medical cannabis certification cards for up to two years. Through the online electronic registration system, current medical cannabis cardholders can submit their two-year renewal applications if they have a qualifying debilitating medical condition that is chronic in nature and verified by their physician or advanced practice registered nurse.

Types of registration options for medical cannabis certification and associated costs in Hawai‘i are as follows:

• One-year registration or renewal for in-state patients: $38.50
• Two-year renewal for in-state patients: $77.00
• Sixty-day registration for out-of-state patients: $49.50 per registration (allowed twice per calendar year)

“We strongly advise all of Hawai‘i’s medical cannabis patients who may be eligible for and would like to request a two-year renewal to consult with their certifying medical provider to ensure they support a two-year term before submitting an application. The registration fees are non-refundable regardless of the renewal outcome,” said Tami Whitney of the department’s Medical Cannabis Registry Program. “All patients that choose to see a new certifying medical provider will be eligible for a one-year registration and the following year may be eligible for a two-year renewal.”

To be eligible for two-year certification renewal, the patient must be renewing with a physician or APRN who certified them in a previous year, the certifying physician or APRN must state the patient’s condition is chronic in nature, and the certifying physician or APRN agrees that a two-year renewal is in the patient’s best interest.

Registered patients can submit their renewal application online as early as 60 days before their registration cards expire to ensure they receive their renewed cards in a timely manner and avoid any lapse in coverage.

Again, all application fees are non-refundable. Hawai‘i residents with medical cannabis cards that submit renewal applications after July 18, 2019 will have the two-year renewal option.