State level criminal penalties for the use, possession and cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes were removed from December 28, 2000. You are afforded legal protection under Hawaii Medical Marijuana Law if you suffer from any of the following conditions:

Cachexia
Cancer
Chronic pain
Crohn’s disease
Epilepsy and other disorders characterized by seizures
Glaucoma
HIV or AIDs
Multiple sclerosis and other disorders characterized by muscle spasticity
Nausea
Other conditions are subject to approval by the Hawaii Department of Health

The law establishes a mandatory, confidential state-run patient registry that issues identification cards to qualifying patients. Without a medical marijuana card, patients or caregivers in Hawaii may be arrested and held under arrest until the patient’s right to use medical marijuana is confirmed.

Procedures for Patient and Physician Participation and Operation of the Hawaii Medical Use of Marijuana Program

The process for a patient to register as a medical marijuana patient is:

Make an appointment for an office visit with the physician, who diagnoses a “debilitating medical condition” and recommends the medical use of marijuana
Pay the $25 fee which the physician encloses and sends with the patient’s application
Pick up physician signed registry identification card which is used for verification by law enforcement

The process for a physician to register a medical marijuana patient is:

The physician obtains the application form (which can be duplicated) from Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED) via fax, email or regular mail
Physician completes the form and sends with the patient’s fee of $25 to NED
NED verifies the information submitted and sends the patient’s card to the physician
Upon receipt, the physician signs the card and gives it to the patient