Hawaiian Ethos, one of eight statewide licensees for medical marijuana, has as its mission to provide Hawaii Island safe and reliable access to cannabis medicine through evidence-based treatment choices. Zachary Taffany, COO, and Kea Keolanui, marketing, of Hawaiian Ethos educated our club members who have a 1960s perception of marijuana. In Hawaii, the licensee does everything from growing, creating products, and dispensing. This vertical integration provides an opportunity to track the performance of its products and improve. Hawaiian Ethos intends to fully leverage this opportunity with a secure feedback app for patients to share their results.
Hawaiian Ethos is led by CEO Bill Richardson together with a Stanford scientist, Vernon Oi, and medical doctor, Dr. Stacie Kerr, MD. The anticipated opening is January 2018. There will be two locations, Hilo and Kona. Retail price is about $250/ounce ($15/gram). The dispensaries will look like a pharmacy. the products will have lab testing results on the labels for potency, pesticides, and other required information. Currently, caregivers can grow for themselves and patients. DOH has indicated phasing out the caregiver program in favor of dispensaries.
There are three steps to access the dispensary products: 1) schedule an appointment with a physician or advanced practice registered nurse to certify that you have a qualifying medical condition; 2) register with the Department of Health's Medical Marijuana Registry Program; and 3) bring your current government issued ID and 329 Registration Card to Hawaiian Ethos for dispensary access.