Thousands of Hawaii medical marijuana patients are facing a looming crisis due to a legal oversight that threatens to cut off access to their caregivers who grow and process cannabis for them. Caregivers will no longer be allowed to cultivate cannabis starting Dec. 31, 2024. The impending ban also includes the closure of community grow sites that many patients rely on.
Government Admits Mistake
State legislators admit they are to blame for the lapse in Hawaii’s medical marijuana rules for caregivers. Written seven years ago, the rules will expire at the end of 2024 and no new ones have been written to replace them.
"It really was a failure that we did not address this impending deadline, and now we have the crisis upon us," said House Public Safety Chair Rep. Della Belatti, reported Hawaii News Now.
"They're left either to the black market, which we know is unregulated and unsafe, or without medicine at all. Now we're faced with this situation, and we're going to have to deal with it," she added, referring to medical marijuana patients. There are roughly 32,000 registered medical marijuana patients in Hawaii, according to government statistics.
By law, registered caregivers are allowed to grow up to 10 cannabis plants for patients unable to do so themselves. This has been a legal alternative to dispensaries, which some say are too expensive or inconvenient.
State Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, said the situation will have a profound impact on medical marijuana patients. "Especially for Oahu patients who live in condos where they are dependent upon caregivers to grow their medical cannabis for them, they won't be able to have that access and that's huge."
Read Also: Hawaii Senators Approve Cannabis Legalization Bill Despite Internal Opposition To Governor’s Pro-Reform Stance
Medical Marijuana Provider Responds
Jason Hanley, who founded Care Waialua eight years ago, says caregivers are vital for many patients, especially those who are bedridden or physically unable to grow their own cannabis. "Caregivers will no longer be able to help people grow, plain and simple. So, if you're a handicapped person or a bedridden person you have to grow your own medicine. There's no caregiving for you," Hanley said.
The looming December 31 deadline will also limit grow sites to no more than five patients. "They can't afford dispensaries or they can't get their medicine it's as simple as that."
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Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Troy Squillac via Pexels and Nicole Pineda from Pixabay
