Frequently Asked Questions - Medical Marijuana Program

Where can I find my temporary registry ID card?

Log into your https://my.ny.gov account, select "Health Applications," and then the "Medical Marijuana Data Management System." Click on the three white lines on the top-left side of the screen. Select the "My Temporary Card" option from the drop-down menu. Select the blue link to open. Print your temporary ID card.

2. What if I don't see a link in the Medical Marijuana Data Management System for my temporary ID card?

If you do not see the link for your temporary registry ID card, please follow the instructions on the screen to check the status of the current registration.

3. Does having a temporary registry ID card limit the amount of product I can purchase?

No, you will still be able to purchase up to a 60-day supply of the medical marijuana product(s) that correspond to the practitioner recommendations on your certification.

4. Can I re-print a copy of the temporary registry ID card (i.e. if the original print was lost or rendered unusable)?

Yes. Log into your https://my.ny.gov account, select "Health Applications," and then the "Medical Marijuana Data Management System." Click on the three white lines on the top-left side of the screen. Select the "My Temporary Card" option from the drop-down menu. Select the blue link to open. Print your temporary ID card.

5. Do my caregiver(s) also receive temporary registry ID cards?

Designated caregivers can also access a temporary registry ID card after completing their caregiver registration and being approved. The designated caregiver will follow the same steps as a patient to retrieve and print the temporary registry ID card. This does not apply to facilities that have been designated as a caregiver.

6. Can I print a temporary registry ID card for a patient I am a registered caregiver for?

Yes. Log into your https://my.ny.gov account, select "Health Applications," and then the "Medical Marijuana Data Management System." Click on the three white lines on the top-left side of the screen. Select the "My Patient's Temporary Card" option from the drop-down menu. Select the blue link to open. Print your temporary ID card. If you are also the patient's proxy, you may need to select "Switch to Caregiver Portal" before this option will be available.

7. How does a designated caregiver facility obtain a temporary registry ID card?

Facilities who have submitted the required designated facility caregiver form to the Department, and whose registration as a facility caregiver has been approved, will be issued a registry ID card in the approval response sent via email. No temporary registry ID cards are issued for facility caregivers.

8. Why do I have to present a government issued photo ID when using my temporary ID card?

The temporary registry ID card will not contain your photo. Therefore, while you are waiting for your official card, the government-issued photo ID will act as a way to verify your identity when purchasing or possessing medical marijuana products with a temporary registry ID card.

9. What if the photo on my government-issued photo ID is not a true likeness of me?

The government-issued photo ID will provide a way to verify your identity when purchasing or possessing medical marijuana products with a temporary registry ID card. If the registered organization cannot confirm your identity using the government-issued photo ID provided, the registered organization may not dispense product to you.

10. What if my government-issued photo ID (i.e. passport) has expired?

Your identity may still be verified with an expired government-issued photo ID.

11. Does the temporary registry ID card still work even after I receive my official registry ID card?

The temporary ID card expires 30 days after the date of issue. The expiration date will be printed on your temporary registry ID card. You should receive your official registry ID card prior to the expiration of the temporary ID card. If you do not receive your official registry ID card within two weeks, please contact the Department at 1-844-863-9312 or mmp@health.ny.gov to check on the status of your official registry ID card.

12. Do I need to get a new temporary ID card if dosing recommendations change between the time I get my temporary ID card and receiving the official ID card?

If your practitioner updates the dosing recommendations on the existing certification that you are actively registered with, you do not need to request a new temporary ID card. The registry ID card is linked to your registration, which is also linked to the certification. Any time you do receive a new certification number (PC1# in the top right corner of your certification form) you must re-register using your https://My.NY.gov account in order to have an active registry ID card. If you need assistance with re-registering, please contact us at 1-844-863-9312.

13. What if my address is incorrect on my temporary ID card?

If your address is not correct on the temporary ID card, your registry ID card will also not have the correct address. Please log into your https://My.NY.gov account, select Health Applications, and then the "Medical Marijuana Data Management System" link. You may request a new card by selecting "Update Information/Request New Card". Selecting "Address Change" as the reason. You will need to edit the address information provided and then upload acceptable proof of your current address (examples of proof include a lease agreement, utility bill, mortgage statement, NYS DMV ID) and submit the request to the Department for review. Once approved you will be able to access a new temporary ID card. A new registry ID card will be mailed to the provided address.

14. What if my registry ID card has not been received in the mail and my temporary ID card is expired?

Your registry ID card should be received within 10 business days from the date your temporary ID was issued. If necessary, log into your https://My.NY.gov account, select "Health Applications," and then the "Medical Marijuana Data Management System" link. You may request a new card by selecting "Update Information/Request New Card." Confirm the mailing address is correct, and includes any applicable apartment numbers. If the address is correct, select "Lost Card" as the reason. If you need to edit the address, please select "Address Change" then edit the address information listed on the screen. You will then need to upload acceptable proof of your address (examples of proof include a lease agreement, utility bill, mortgage statement, NYS DMV ID), and submit. You will be able to access a new temporary ID card. A new registry ID card will be mailed to the provided address.

15. I do not have a printer to print the temporary registry ID card. Do I have to wait for my physical registry ID card to be received in the mail?

Medical Marijuana

A bipartisan proposal seeking a middle ground in the debate over medical marijuana. Hemp regulation hit the Florida Legislature this week.

On Monday, Democratic Rep. Andrew Learned of Brandon. Republican Rep. Spencer Roach of Fort Myers introduced HB 679, which they described in an accompanying press note as the “first major update” to Florida’s medical statutes since voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment five years ago.

“We are working to deliver significant cost savings for patients, make the program more user-friendly and at the same time ensure safety for both patients and our children,” Learned said.

The bill, which bears some similarity to failed proposals Roach filed last Legislative Session, would, among other things, close “loopholes” related to synthetic marijuana and the largely hemp-derived delta-8 type of THC.

The bill would lengthen the terms of medical marijuana licenses and the time between required doctor appointments, which combined would cut an estimated 60% of the cost of participation in the state’s medical-marijuana program.

It would also remove doctor appointments for medical marijuana license recertification under specific guidelines, ban related advertising that markets to children, end the practice of “flipping” medical marijuana treatment center licenses for monetary gain and create new testing regimens to increase the safety of products, the transparency of state regulations and the efficacy of roadside impaired-driver testing.

For the plant itself, the bill would significantly tighten regulation of hemp extract products and add language clarifying such products intended for smoking or eating, including delta-8 flowers, oil and edibles, may not be sold to people under 21. It would also add strictures limiting the THC potency of synthetic marijuana. Hemp extracts to what is allowable under the U.S.S. Department of Agriculture’s rules for domestic hemp production.

Hemp is legally defined as a cannabis plant with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC, the psychoactive chemical that provides a “high.” Marijuana is a cannabis plant with a higher than 0.3% concentration.

Delta-8, most frequently synthesized from hemp extracts, has a different chemical structure than its delta-9 cousin and produces a less euphoric effect on users. Its legality and relative value, however, is questionable, particularly because it’s far less regulated.

The federal government has increasingly targeted the drug, including warnings from the FDA in September, and 16 states so far have banned or restricted delta-8 sales.

For doctors and those operating medical marijuana treatment centers, the bill’s passage would usher a host of significant changes. The bill would triple from two to six hours the length of the $500 course physicians must complete for being licensed or having their license renewed to prescribe medical marijuana.

Under the bill, doctors and treatment centers would still be permitted to advertise online, provided all advertising is approved by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, isn’t a pop-up ad, and doesn’t have content that “specifically targets” minors. They would also be able to have signage at their place of business, as long as the signage doesn’t contain “wording or images commonly associated with marketing targeted toward children or which promote the recreational use of marijuana.”

However, they would be prohibited from publicly advertising their practices or businesses in public, including radio, TV, and public spaces.

While a patient’s medical marijuana license must still come through an in-person examination, the bill would allow license renewals to occur remotely through telehealth as long as it’s with the same physician who conducted the initial certification.

The bill would increase the period between evaluations of medical marijuana patients from at least once every 30 weeks to at least once every 34 weeks. It would also double the length of time qualified medical marijuana patients. Caregivers are licensed by the state from one to two years.

Further, the bill would disallow state license renewals of medical marijuana treatment centers that have not begun to “cultivate, process and dispense marijuana by the date on which the medical marijuana treatment center is required to renew its license.”

It would also outlaw treatment centers or individuals with 5% or more of the voting share of a center from employing or having an economic interest in a doctor’s practice or marijuana testing lab and ban testing labs and their officers, directors, and employees from having “direct or indirect” economic interests or financial relationships with medical marijuana treatment centers.

Treatment centers would still be able to contract with a lab to provide testing services.

The bill would also create a new oversight body: a “Medical Marijuana Testing Advisory Council,” which would operate under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The 18-member group - of which the Governor would appoint the majority - would be charged with providing advice and expertise on marijuana testing policies and standards, as well as an annual report recommending ways to prevent marijuana-related traffic infractions and accidents, the application of drug-free workplace policies and testing standards to ensure marijuana products are safe.

Fast Medical Marijuana Card

Article content LOS ANGELES - Jerred Kiloh’s eyes narrowed as he checked his mirror again. The black Chevy SUV with tinted windows was still behind him.

Article content It had been hanging off Kiloh’s bumper ever since he nosed out of the parking lot behind his medical-marijuana dispensary with $40,131.88 in cash in the trunk of his hatchback.

AP Exclusive: Paying pot taxes means cash, the freeway, fear Back to video

Kiloh was unarmed, on his way to City Hall to make a monthly tax payment, and managing only stop-and-start progress in the midday traffic. He was afraid of one thing above all else: getting robbed.

That fear is a constant part of doing business in California’s flourishing medical cannabis industry, in which transactions are conducted mostly in cash, sometimes in stunningly large amounts.

“The thing I need the least right now is to have to go through any sort of money disappearing,” Kiloh said.

On Jan. 1, recreational pot will become legal in California, creating what could be the world’s largest legitimate marijuana economy. It comes more than two decades after the state gave its blessing to medical cannabis.

Article content But the emerging marketplace with a projected $7 billion value has a potentially crippling flaw: Many people who work in it can’t use a bank. Banks don’t want the risks of doing business with companies whose product remains illegal under federal law.

So while the sneaker shop next door to Kiloh’s storefront on Ventura Boulevard can send a check to City Hall to cover its taxes, or wire the money from a laptop, Kiloh has to make a stress-filled, 15-mile (24-kilometre) freeway drive each month to downtown Los Angeles.

California is to marijuana what Iowa is to corn, and what Kentucky is to bourbon - the nation’s bud basket, its heartland for production. The transformation of such a vast illegal economy into a legal one hasn’t been witnessed since the end of Prohibition in 1933.

Article content The state expects to collect $1 billion in new tax revenue annually from pot within a few years. In L.A. - which is already estimated to have anywhere from 1,000 to 1,700 medical marijuana dispensaries, only about 200 of which paid city taxes in 2016 - the take is projected at $50 million next year alone.

However, governments will almost certainly miss out on money without an easy, secure way for businesses to pay. With no bank records, it will be harder to regulators to track funds and identify shady operators. And those who operate by the book will be undercut by those who don’t.

Without banks, “everyone loses,” said Nicole Howell Neubert, a marijuana industry lawyer.

Kiloh, a 40-year-old with a greying mohawk and a degree in economics, counts 15 years in the pot industry as a seller and cultivator and is a partner and business manager at a San Francisco dispensary and the owner of the one in Los Angeles.

Article content In the absence of a bank, Kiloh has become his own.

Twist and turn through a warren of rooms inside his shop, go through a door with a keypad lock, and you will come to a closet-like space that contains twin steel vaults, standing head-high. The walls around them are reinforced with steel.

Overhead, more than 50 cameras scan his offices and hallways and keep watch outside the building as well. An armed guard stands at the door to the sales floor.

On a typical day, $15,000 can change hands in his dispensary, where a steady stream of customers pick from shelves stocked with 700 products, from fragrant buds and perfectly rolled joints to cannabis-infused lip balm and potent concentrates known as “shatter” that look like thin sheets of amber glass.

Article content For Kiloh, the cash is a daily hassle. It needs to be counted repeatedly to safeguard against loss. State and local taxes must be set aside and stored, sometimes for a month or more. When vendors show up, they get paid in cash, too.

“When now everyone makes payments through their cellphone, it’s tough to see that I’m left to the archaic version of counting money,” he said.

With all the cash on hand - he grossed $4 million last year - crime is a gnawing fear. His dispensary on a bustling commercial strip has been robbed twice - once by thieves breaking in through the roof.

The Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for statistics on crimes against marijuana dispensaries, and many cases are believed to go unreported anyway, since many businesses are loath to go to the police.

Article content Last year, though, a dispensary owner shot and wounded two armed men during a holdup in the Los Angeles suburbs. And a security guard at a dispensary was killed in an attempted robbery in Aurora, Colorado, another one of the nine states to legalize recreational pot.

To keep criminals guessing, Kiloh avoids arriving at the same time each day and staggers the times he leaves. He goes in. Out different doors. He keeps an eye on cars parked around his shop.

Once a month, Kiloh telephones to make arrangements to drop off his tax payment at the city Finance Department, which gets 6 per cent of his gross revenue. They want to know he’s coming - it’s dangerous for them, too. The agency has seen bags of cash from pot businesses as large as $300,000 come through the door.

Article content His journey to the tax office starts at a windowless back room at his shop, where stacks of $20 bills flip through the counting machine at his desk with the whir-slap-whir-slap of a weed-whacker.

He and his staff then wrap the bills into neat $2,000 bundles and wedge them into a long cardboard box, which is then covered in plain paper and stuffed into a shoulder bag that goes into the trunk.

From the moment he pulls out of his parking lot, he is watching, assessing.

“I find myself looking in my rear-view mirror hundreds of more times than I usually would in just normal traffic, making sure that I’m not being followed,” Kiloh said.

“That’s what a lot of this industry has been about: Just stay under the radar, and that’s your best defence. That’s your best kind of safety.”

Article content It was on Kiloh’s drive to City Hall in late June that he noticed the ominous-looking Chevy. He watched it intently, taking note of the man behind the wheel - glasses, mid-40s to 50s - as he leaned into the accelerator.

Eventually, the Chevy disappeared, but Kiloh wasn’t home free yet.

Exiting the freeway, he tried to enter a parking lot near City Hall but was turned away, forcing him farther down the block.

Once inside a garage, he looped around until he found a spot near a stairwell. Lifting his satchel from his trunk, he scurried toward the door.

“I try to not stay in confined places like an elevator, so I’d rather take the standard stairs, plus the standard stairs have video cameras,” he said.

The steps opened to a sun-soaked plaza teeming with people. With the cash over his shoulder, he made his way briskly toward City Hall, his head swiveling.

“It’s tough when people make eye contact with you,” he said. “There is always the fear of what do they know?”

Kiloh spotted a police officer walking across the plaza - an instant source of comfort.

Finally at the granite-faced tower, Kiloh darted up the steps and slipped behind a pair of glass-and-wood doors. He emerged about 20 minutes later, his tax bill paid, and drew in a slow, deep breath.

“You just feel the relief,” he said, “to know that I don’t have to look over my shoulder

Cannabis Dispensary Are Free From All Sorts Of Internet Scams

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What Are The Benefits Of Obtaining My Oklahoma Medical Card Online?

Getting a medical card to buy medical cannabis in Oklahoma is quick and painless. Doctors that prescribe cannabis or Medical Marijuana Doctors can now evaluate you online to see if you are eligible to obtain a medical marijuana card.

You can start the process by booking your consult, which you can call or book online to schedule. Our doctors are on call to answer any questions you may have about different forms of marijuana or medical-grade marijuana and how the treatment works.

If you are wondering if your condition qualifies, see below for some common approved health conditions for a medical card:

These are just a few; you can research if your specific condition qualifies, or you can talk directly to a doctor and receive guidance from them. Even if your health condition isn't on a list, you can still see if you can qualify from a medical professional's opinion.

Next, we can submit your approval for a medical marijuana card online on your behalf, or you can send it in yourself by filling out an application on the state's official medical marijuana platform.

Necessary Documents

You will need to provide multiple documents:

Proof of Oklahoma residency

Proof of identity

An email address

A clear picture of yourself

Medicaid or Medicare insurance card or enrollment documentation

See here for a full list of the documents you need if you're planning to submit your documentation yourself.

After you submit your application and get approved, you will get your Oklahoma medical marijuana card in the mail in about two weeks from your approval date. Then, you can buy medical marijuana from any dispensary in Oklahoma.

You need to schedule a consultation every two years to renew your medical license. Remembering that you need to renew your license is essential to remember so that you can plan and renew before it expires.

Perks of Getting an Oklahoma Medical Card Online

The benefits of getting a card online are that you don't have to worry or deal with scheduling an in-person appointment. You are able to get any questions about your health condition. If you qualify answered on the spot.

The process is quick and easy, with our doctors able to submit your application on your behalf. You are also able to fill out the form yourself; it's your preference.

If you have an immediate medical need, the online process allows you to submit everything in one day and get the process moving right away.

The convenience factor is the reason why getting a medical marijuana card online is the best route. If you are having trouble with the process, you can always call our customer service line as we have people on the call to answer your questions.

Why Should I Get a Medical Card?

Though marijuana isn't legal recreationally in many states, medical marijuana is legal in some capacity in 33 states. There is a process to obtain a card, but once you do, you have legal access to purchase and use medical marijuana.

Here are the top benefits for why you should get a medical marijuana card:

1. Quality

If you have obtained a medical marijuana card in Oklahoma, you have access to high-quality cannabis. The high-quality cannabis comes from a dispensary in your state. These dispensaries provide you with the best quality because their products are heavily tested before you receive them.

2. Cost

When you buy cannabis for recreational purposes in legalized states, it's costly and has a lot of taxes involved. In Illinois, some customers will pay 41.25% in taxes on some marijuana products. If you have the medical marijuana card, you have access to medical dispensaries where you can get marijuana at a more affordable price and less tax.

3. Legal Protection

If you use medical marijuana without a card or certificate, you can get into legal trouble, even if you have a health condition. The penalties can include but aren't limited to, fines, jail time, and treatment for addiction.

The medical card shows that you're verified for the use of medical marijuana, and you are under the protection of the law. This will put you at peace as you treat your health condition.

4. Dosage

The amount of medical marijuana you need to treat your health condition varies, and when you have a medical card, you can access high-strength cannabis to help your symptoms. Recreational use has potency limits, while medical dispensaries have more freedom to give you more robust amounts or dose levels.

In some states, you can grow medical marijuana on your property. However, make sure to check your state guidelines before doing anything that your card doesn't specify as legal. There are multiple benefits to getting a medical marijuana card online. Being able to treat your health condition at a more affordable price.

Help Yourself

After obtaining your Oklahoma medical card online, you are now able to buy medical marijuana and help relieve symptoms of your health condition. From the quick and painless process of obtaining the card, you will be able to purchase medical cannabis in no time.

There are multiple health conditions eligible to get approval for a medical marijuana card for treatment. Make sure to do your research or contact your doctor to see if your health condition qualifies.

How To Get A Medical Marijuana Card

If you want to become a medical marijuana patient in Pennsylvania, you can do it from the comfort of your own home.

During the early days of the pandemic, Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program began temporarily allowing registered physicians to certify new patients and recertify existing ones, by doing a remote consultation over video conferencing or with a phone call. (Pre-pandemic, patients had to be certified for a medical marijuana card by meeting in person with a registered doctor.)

Now, that change, among others, is permanent. Gov. Wolf signed House Bill 1024 into law last month, which “permanently allows for remote consultations,” according to a statement from Pennsylvania Department of Health deputy press secretary Maggi Barton.

The bill also made other changes including what conditions qualify and how dispensaries can operate, Barton said.

» READ MORE: From drive thru to home delivery, how coronavirus has unshackled Pa.’s marijuana industry

So, how do you go about getting certified for medical marijuana in Pennsylvania now, and what is the process like? Here is what you need to know:

What conditions qualify for medical marijuana in Pennsylvania?

You have to have at least one of about two dozen qualifying medical conditions to participate in the Commonwealth’s medical marijuana program. According to the state, those conditions are:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Anxiety disorders

Autism

Cancer, including remission therapy

Damage to the nervous tissue of the central nervous system (brain-spinal cord) with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, and other associated neuropathies

Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders

Epilepsy

HIV / AIDS

Huntington’s disease

Inflammatory bowel disease

Intractable seizures

Multiple sclerosis

Neurodegenerative diseases

Neuropathies

Opioid use disorder for which conventional therapeutic interventions are contraindicated or ineffective, or for which adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions

Parkinson’s disease

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain

Sickle cell anemia

Tourette syndrome

» READ MORE: Can I be fired for using medical marijuana?

You’ll need documentation of your diagnosis, which will be reviewed and evaluated by a physician. You can get records through your health-care providers’ online portal or by contacting with them directly.

“A copy of their last office note, an after-visit summary, [or] a printout list of their diagnoses” would be helpful, Jennifer Minkovich, a Philadelphia-area physician who offers remote consultations, said last year. “Really, anything from their health-care provider that simply states their name and diagnosis would be sufficient.”

How to register online for Pennsylvania’s program

If you qualify, you can register for the medical marijuana program online through the state health department’s Medical Marijuana Registry.

You’ll need to provide your name, address, and contact information, and must have a state-issued driver’s license or identification card. Your address needs to be exactly as it appears on your state ID.

“Be meticulous,” Minkovich said.

How to get a remote consultation

There isn’t an official list of registered doctors who are offering remote consultations. The state health department, however, provides a list of Pennsylvania physicians who are registered with the program.

“New patients should look at the list on our website and find a registered physician, and then call to determine if a remote consultation is available,” former state health department press secretary Nate Wardle said last year.

Consultations are generally not covered by insurance, so you will have to pay for it out of pocket. If you’re a new patient, it will usually cost between $125 and $199, and take about 15 to 30 minutes.

Some organizations hold certification events, where they do individual consultations with a batch of patients on a particular day.

» READ MORE: Can I be evicted for using medical marijuana?

The Pittsburgh-based All Life Advanced Care Centers, for example, has an online form where patients can sign up for a consultation and become certified, if they qualify, president Carla Mader said last year. That group began doing consultations remotely with physicians in late March 2020, and helps patients through the registration process.

What is a remote consultation like?

Remote consultations are “not much different than traditional office visits” for a medical marijuana certification, Minkovich said - they’re just by phone or video.

The consultation is just a discussion; “a physical exam is not required,” she said.

The practitioner will typically ask about your medical history, give you an overview of the state’s medical marijuana program, and tell you what to expect when visiting a dispensary.

» READ MORE: Is it legal to smoke weed at the shore?

How to get your card after being certified

Once certified, you can log into your Medical Marijuana Registry account and pay for your medical marijuana card. The fee is $50; if you’re on a program like Medicaid and WIC, you could get that refunded. You should get your card in the mail within seven to 10 days.

Getting marijuana from an approved dispensary

Once you get your medical marijuana card, you can make a purchase at a dispensary. You can find one near you on the state health department’s website.

Pennsylvania dispensaries are operating differently now than before the pandemic, and some of those changes have become permanent. You can pickup curbside. Buy up to a 90-day supply of cannabis at a time. (Previously, dispensaries needed to do their business indoors and could only sell a 30-day supply).

You Can Now Get Medical Marijuana While Vacationing In Hawaii: The Cannabis Visiting Patient Program

Vacationing in Hawaii just got a lot cooler - not that it wasn’t already.

Earlier this week, Hawaii’s Department of Health announced a new 10-minute, online process that allows for out-of-state cannabis users to get medical marijuana in the island. So, if you’re a patient who qualifies for medical marijuana somewhere else in the U.S. - continental and territories, all you’ll need to do to receive a temporary medical marijuana card is fill out an online application up to 60 days in advance of your trip, and pay a $49.50 fee.

Once you arrive in Hawaii, you’ll be able to use this electronic registration card, known as the 329-V card, to purchase marijuana in all licensed medical cannabis retailers over a period of 60 consecutive days. Today, patients from Washington, D.C., 32 U.S. states where medical marijuana is legal, and four U.S. territories, can apply for a temporary medical marijuana card in Hawaii - although I’ve heard a few among these 32 states might not allow their patients to do so.

Patients will only be able to apply twice per year.

Interestingly, purchase limits are unusually high, at 4 ounces, or 113 grams of cannabis, every 15 days. For reference, 2017 figures out of Statistics Canada reveled the average Canadian cannabis consumer used a little bit more than 20 grams of weed in a year.

‘Vital For Patients’

The Hawaii Educational Association for Therapeutic Healthcare (HEALTH), the state’s trade association for licensed dispensaries, supported this new Department of Health initiative. When prompted about the issue, HEALTH executive director Pedro Haro told me, “Hawaii’s new Visiting Patient Program is an important milestone in providing qualified out-out-state patients with safe access to the state’s world-class licensed medical cannabis dispensaries. Approved visiting patients no longer need to be anxious about if they’ll be able to legally obtain their medical cannabis medication in Hawaii and instead can focus on enjoying their experience in the Aloha state.”

Adding to these comments, Morgan Fox, media relations director of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) said, “Reciprocity for medical cannabis programs is absolutely vital for patients, and a great benefit for providers. Lack of access to their medicine can severely limit the places that patients can travel, and there is no reason that they should not be able to live a normal life while traveling in a state where medical cannabis is legal. Economically, this is good for dispensaries in a given state, but also for all the businesses that patients may shop at while visiting those states. Hawaii, being a tourist destination, will now be able to accommodate medical cannabis patients from the other states where their medicine is legal.”

By means of conclusion, Tom Angell, publisher of Marijuana Moment and Forbes contributor said, “Medical cannabis patients shouldn’t have to go without their medicine while on vacation or on business trips,” qualifying the decision as a “commonsense move.” In his view, expanding medical cannabis programs to include reciprocity consideratios “is just one way we’re seeing states moving to expand existing programs. Others include adding new qualifying conditions or allowing new forms of consumption.”

The small print: To be eligible, visiting patients need a valid medical registration card from a U.S. state or territory and a valid government-issued photo ID from the same state. Finally, patients applying for the temporary card must use cannabis for one or more of the qualifying conditions recognized by Hawaii.