HomeNewsHawaii Medicinal Cannabis Program Statistics

Hawaii Medicinal Cannabis Program Statistics

The number of patients registered for Hawaii’s medical cannabis program has increased by 9% since June.

According to latest figures from the State’s Department of Health, 19,190 registered patients were on file as at September 30, 2017; up significantly from 17,591 at the end of June.

The number of registered caregivers has also increased; from 1,308 at June 30 to 1,418 at the end of last month.

More than 50% of registered patients are aged 46 or older and nearly a quarter are in the 56-65 age bracket. There were 34 patients registered who were under the age of 18.

As was the case in June, the most common conditions cannabis is being used to treat or manage continues to be severe pain (65.55%), followed by persistent muscle spasms (13.39%) and post-traumatic stress disorder (7.17%).

There appear to be plenty of doctors certifying patients in the state – 116 according to the Department’s last count.

More statistics can be viewed here (PDF).

According to the Department, the average turnaround time for 326 Registration Card applications is ten business days, but at the time of publishing it was 6 business days. The application process costs USD $38.50. The card is required for purchasing from dispensaries – or even entering them.

In other recent news from the program, the third licensed medical cannabis dispensary in the state (and the second on Maui) was granted approval in late September to commence sales.

The state’s first medical dispensaries were given the green light in August, as was the first certified cannabis testing facility. More recently, Hawaii became the first U.S. state to implement a cashless system for medical cannabis purchases.

In Hawaii, registered patients and their caregivers are permitted to buy up to four ounces of medical cannabis over a 15-consecutive day period and purchase a maximum of eight ounces over 30 consecutive days.

While medical cannabis has been legal in the state for 17 years, prior to August patients and caregivers had to cultivate their own cannabis plants. They are still able to do so under certain circumstances and with special permission.

Gillian Jalimnson
Gillian Jalimnson is one of Hemp Gazette's staff writers and has been with us since we kicked off in 2015. Gillian sees massive potential for cannabis in areas of health, energy, building and personal care products and is intrigued by the potential for cannabidiol (CBD) as an alternative to conventional treatments. You can contact Gillian here.
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