New Dispensary Opens in Hawaii as Medical Patient Numbers Fall

22 April 2025

Hawaii’s medical cannabis landscape continues to expand with the opening of a new dispensary on Oahu. This marks the state’s 25th licensed cannabis dispensary, highlighting ongoing efforts to increase patient access to legal, tested cannabis products. However, some experts question whether expanding dispensary infrastructure is sustainable, given the steady decline in registered medical cannabis patients.

Hawaii Expands Access with New Dispensary

• New Location: A new medical cannabis dispensary has opened in the heart of Waikiki, Oahu, adding to the growing network of legal dispensaries across the islands.
• Statewide Reach: Hawaii now has 25 licensed dispensaries — with 11 located on Oahu, six each on Maui and Hawaii Island, and two on Kauai.
• Program Scope: Hawaii’s medical cannabis program serves nearly 30 thousand registered patients and over 2,500 caregivers, providing access to products that undergo rigorous cannabis testing in Hawaii for safety and quality assurance.

Patient Registration Numbers Are Declining

Despite the growth in dispensary numbers, testimony in support of HB 302 HD2 relating to cannabis reveals a concerning trend: a 15% decline in registered medical cannabis patients over the past three years.

According to the testimony:

• Outdated Certification Rules: Patients still face barriers such as mandatory in-person doctor evaluations, despite national shifts toward telehealth.
• Registration Delays: Patients often wait several days to receive their “329 card” before they can legally access dispensaries, deterring urgent medical users.
• Limited Provider Access: Especially on neighbor islands, a shortage of certifying doctors makes obtaining medical cannabis certification in Hawaii difficult.
• Cost and Competition: High prices at legal dispensaries, coupled with the thriving illicit market and availability of hemp-derived THC products, drive many patients away from licensed Hawaii dispensaries.

These factors have led to many patients seeking cheaper, easier alternatives outside the regulated system — a situation that threatens the long-term viability of the Hawaii cannabis industry.

Is Expanding Dispensary Infrastructure Sustainable?

While the opening of new dispensaries increases legal access points, the declining patient population raises critical questions:

• Fewer Patients, More Dispensaries: As the number of patients drops, dispensaries may face intensified competition for a shrinking customer base.
• Rising Operational Costs: Dispensaries must cover high costs related to compliance, cannabis testing, security, and operations — challenges that worsen if patient numbers continue to fall.
• Illicit Market Pressure: Without meaningful reforms to Hawaii cannabis laws that streamline access and certification, dispensaries risk losing even more patients to unregulated sources.

Industry leaders and healthcare advocates argue that expanding dispensary infrastructure alone is not enough. Legislative reforms — like those proposed in HB 302 HD2 — are urgently needed to modernize the program, retain patients, and support the long-term health of the cannabis industry in Hawaii.

Legislative Efforts Could Help Reverse the Trend

Proposals contained in HB 302 HD2 relating to cannabis aim to modernize Hawaii’s medical cannabis program by:

• Allowing telehealth certification to eliminate the need for in-person consultations.
• Permitting temporary dispensary access for patients immediately after certification submission.
• Streamlining registration to cut delays and reduce administrative barriers.

These changes are critical not only for patients but also for stabilizing the Hawaii cannabis industry and encouraging safe, legal cannabis access.

The opening of a new dispensary in Oahu highlights Hawaii’s commitment to expanding legal medical cannabis access, however, without addressing the systemic barriers driving patients away, simply increasing the number of available dispensaries may not be enough to secure the future of the regulated market.