Governor Ige’s quiet signature of HB1488, late last week, serves as Hawai‘i’s latest move to ensure greater MMJ patient protections and access to their medicine. The bill goes in to effect as law on June 29th.
This measure legally introduces new qualifying conditions (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis), allows patients to host as many as 10 plants in any stage of development, and allows patients to access laboratories to test their own medicine.
Policy makers and advocates further celebrate the delay in removal of caregiver growing rights, which have been kept as acceptable practice until 2023.
There undoubtedly remains more heavy liftinto do before we have a cost effective, diversified, transparent, and fully operational dispensary program; however, Hawai‘i continues to lead the charge from a patient-centric policy approach with these progressive elements.
It is the Alliance’s mission to provide up-to-date and relevant industry information to the patients, current and future dispensaries, and related businesses of Hawai‘i’s growing medicinal cannabis industry. If you are not yet an Alliance member, join today to receive the HDA Industry Update and to take an active role in the future of Hawai‘i’s medical marijuana industry. Contact us today! You can also find us on Facebook or Twitter.