With less than five months to go before medical marijuana dispensaries can open in Hawaii, business owners could be facing unique obstacles in a state of islands separated by federal waters. Dispensaries can open as soon as July 15, but industry experts say they could be confronted with challenges unlike those in other states, such as navigating rules that ban inter-island transport and limit the number of growers – all of which could cause marijuana shortages.
“Hawaii is going to be a really interesting market in general, basically because of the geography,” said Chris Walsh, managing editor of Marijuana Business Daily.
Actor and marijuana advocate Woody Harrelson and video game designer Henk Rogers are among 59 Hawaii residents who have applied for licenses. Under a law passed in 2015, Hawaii will grant eight licenses for marijuana businesses, each of which can have two production centers and two dispensaries. Marijuana advocates say that will separate the industry into distinct economies on each island, unlike other states.
All medical marijuana must be tested in a state-approved laboratory before it’s sold, but currently, there are none in Hawaii. In response, Hawaii lawmakers are considering whether to allow marijuana to be transported to another island if a laboratory isn’t available. Rep. Della Au Belatti, who introduced the bill, said lawmakers are trying to figure out how to get around federal laws that prevent marijuana from being transported by sea or air.
Some airports in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska allow travelers to fly with marijuana, airport officials told The Associated Press. The Federal Aviation Administration is required to revoke pilots’ licenses if they knowingly commit a federal crime involving a controlled substance on an aircraft – for instance, transporting marijuana. The Department of Justice says it is less likely to interfere with state marijuana programs as long as they’re well-regulated, according to a 2013 memo.
Medical marijuana advocates in Hawaii say patients would benefit from relaxed laws on inter-island transport. Hawaii’s medical marijuana industry could also face other problems, such as the nation’s highest electricity costs and a thriving underground market. Hawaii was the first state to legalize medical marijuana through the legislative process 16 years ago, which means many patients already know where to find marijuana.
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