HONOLULU, Hawaii. April 13, 2016. The Department of Health has postponed the announcement of the medical marijuana licensees until April 29th.

This afternoon the Department of Health sent an email to dispensary applicants postponing the announcement until April 29th, and giving dispensary applicants and the members of their organizations until April 25th to submit their fingerprints and consent to background checks.

In response to our own questions, and those of many of our members, DoH’s emails to the applicants clarify that not only the applicant, but every named owner, principal, and member of the applying entity must also submit their fingerprints and consent to a background check. Specifically, everyone listed in question #34 and #35 of the application. DoH did not request this information in the online application as they should have, thus the delay.

“Changing course at this late date, only two days before the statutory deadline will seriously undermine the legitimacy of the process, the reputation of the Department of Health, and the economic viability of many dispensary applicants. Our members are increasingly concerned about the lack of transparency and disorganization exhibited by the Department of Health’s conduct concerning the last minute removal of a panelist, last minute request for fingerprints, and last minute postponement of the announcement deadline.

DOH must meet this new deadline to regain any last shred of trust from the industry regarding its ability to administer an open and fair medical marijuana program in the future. The Alliance urges the Department of Health to be clear in its expectations of the dispensary applicants and eventual licensees, and we maintain our call for continued transparency and stability from DOH in meeting this new license announcement deadline to which they can now be held accountable,” said Chris Garth, Executive Director of the Alliance.

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For more information contact:
Christopher H. Garth
Executive Director
Hawai‘i Dispensary Alliance
christopher@hawaiidispensaryalliance.org

Christopher Garth is the Executive Director and chief lobbyist of the Hawai‘i Dispensary Alliance, with almost a decade of experience bridging the gap between stakeholder interests and all levels of Hawai‘i’s state and local governments. A native Hawaiian, educated on the mainland and in Honolulu, Christopher is excited about this opportunity to help a growing industry bring new opportunities to Hawai‘i and greater access to medicine for those in need.

It is the Alliance’s mission to provide up-to-date and relevant industry information to the patients, dispensary applicants, and related businesses of Hawai‘i’s growing medicinal cannabis economy.  Contact us today about joining the Alliance and we will send you the most recent edition of our monthly industry publication, the HDA Industry Update, absolutely free to say thank you for your interest!  You can also find us on Facebook or Twitter.

HDA Press Release: DOH Postpones Medical Marijuana Licensing Announcement