Senate Bill 862 — Signed into law by Gov. Ben Cayetano on June 14, 2000
Approved: By House 32-18, by Senate 13-12
Effective: Dec. 28, 2000

Removes state-level criminal penalties on the use, possession and cultivation of marijuana by patients who possess a signed statement from their physician affirming that he or she suffers from a debilitating condition and that the “potential benefits of medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks.” The law establishes a mandatory, confidential state-run patient registry that issues identification cards to qualifying patients.

Approved conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for HIV/AIDS; A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy, or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s disease. PTSD added July 2015. Other conditions are subject to approval by the Hawaii Department of Health.

Possession/Cultivation: The amount of marijuana that may be possessed jointly between the qualifying patient and the primary caregiver is an “adequate supply,” not to exceed seven plants and no more than four ounces of usable marijuana jointly between a registered patient and caregiver.

Amended:HB 668
Effective: June 25, 2013

Establishes a medical marijuana registry special fund to pay for the program and transfers the medical marijuana program from the Department of Public Safety to the Department of Public Health by no later than Jan. 1, 2015.

Amended:SB 642
Effective: Jan. 2, 2015

Redefines “adequate supply” as seven marijuana plants, whether immature or mature, and four ounces of usable marijuana at any given time; stipulates that physician recommendations will have to be made by the qualifying patient’s primary care physician.

Amended:Act 241
Signed: July 14, 2015

Created “a regulated statewide dispensary system for medical marijuana” and added PTSD to list of conditions.

“The department shall issue eight dispensary licenses statewide… A dispensary licensee may establish up to two retail dispensing locations…

A qualifying patient or primary caregiver… shall be allowed to purchase no more than four ounces of marijuana within a consecutive period of fifteen days.”