New rules for Medical Marijuana Registry Program

Hawaii was one of the first states to legalize medical marijuana, and now that the industry is being taken more seriously on a bigger level, the state has new regulations for patients growing their own medicine. A patient must be registered to grow marijuana in their own home at a max of 7 plants, and each plant must be tagged with the patient's registration number and expiration date of medical card. PTSD has been added to the list of qualifying conditions for the state, giving many veterans easier access to helpful treatments. A patient's primary care provider is no longer necessary to be certified for medical marijuana. Any physician with a valid Hawaii medical license and controlled substance license can register a patient for medical marijuana.

Patients no longer need their primary care physician to be the certifying physician for the program. To participate, a physician with both a valid Hawaii medical license and valid Hawaii controlled substance license must certify that a patient has a debilitating medical condition and that the potential benefits of using medical marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for the treatment of their particular condition.