Over 500 people and 50 companies showed serious interest in obtaining dispensary licenses in Hawaii’s new medical marijuana program.
The list of those granted licenses was recently made public, according to Civil Beat. Applicants from multiple sectors, including law and politics, all attempted enter into the medical marijuana industry.
Some of those granted licenses are:
- Bruce Coppa
- John Radcliffe
- Norman Mineta
- John Henry Felix
- Bertha Kawakami
- State Representative Derek Kawakami
- Rick Fried
- Steve Torkildson
- Lex Smith
- Tony Takitani
- Ivan-Lul Kwan
- Myles Breiner
- David Loule
- Andrew Pepper
- Dean Okimoto
- Dustin Sellers
- Elizabeth Rice Grossman
- Melissa Etheridge
- Former Honolulu asst. police chief Kevin Lima
Also named on the list are several medical professionals. In April, eight dispensaries were granted licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana. Although the list of those awarded licenses has been released, dispensaries are not open for business yet.
The main reason for the delay is the lack of an implemented tracking software system in the state. The state also requires laboratories to test the products that dispensaries wish to offer. No applications for laboratories have been received and the law as it is written requires them.
Janice Okubo said, “DOH is in the process of meeting with licensees, conducting inspections and certifying grow sites.”