Pubdate: Sat, 21 Nov 2015
Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser (HI)
Copyright: 2015 Star Advertiser
Contact: 
http://www.staradvertiser.com/info/Star-Advertiser_Letter_to_the_Editor.html
Website: http://www.staradvertiser.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5154
Author: Kristen Consillio

PLANS SOUGHT FOR SYSTEM OF SEED-TO-SALE TRACKING

Hawaii's Health Department is looking for a company to build an 
online system to track medical marijuana inventory and sales at 
dispensaries statewide in 2016.

The department's Office of Health Care Assurance, which regulates and 
licenses health care facilities, has issued a request for proposals 
for a computer software tracking system that will run 24 hours a day, 
according to Keith Ridley, who heads the office.

"This is another major step forward to implement the medical 
marijuana program to ensure access for Hawaii patients and 
caregivers," Ridley said in a news release.

"After researching various options, the department determined a 
Web-based software system would be the most effective and 
user-friendly way for licensees and state officials to collect and 
report seed-to-sale tracking information to ensure public safety and 
patient safety, and licensees will be required to utilize a tracking 
system. We are also exploring how other entities such as law 
enforcement officers or laboratories can also securely access the information."

In July Gov. David Ige signed Act 241, which allows for dispensaries 
to begin selling medical marijuana to qualifying patients or primary 
caregivers beginning July 15, 2016. Under the law a total of eight 
dispensary licenses may be issued: three on Oahu, two each on the Big 
Island and Maui, and one on Kauai.

Each dispensary licensee will be allowed to operate up to two 
production centers with up to 3,000 marijuana plants each and two 
retail stations for a total of 16 centers and 16 dispensaries statewide.

The request for proposals is available online at 
health.hawaii.gov/medicalmarijuana. The contract award is expected to 
be made by Dec. 23.

[sidebar]

KEEPING TABS

The system will collect detailed inventory and sales information, including:

)) The total amount of marijuana at each dispensary, in the form of 
seeds or plants, including all plants that are derived from cuttings 
or cloning, until the cannabis or plants, or manufactured pot 
products are sold or destroyed.

)) The total amount of manufactured marijuana product inventory, 
including the equivalent physical weight of pot that is used to 
manufacture marijuana products or purchased by a qualifying patient 
and primary caregiver from retail dispensing locations in any 15-day period.

)) The amount of unused plant material produced by each plant at harvest.

)) The transport of marijuana and manufactured cannabis products 
between production centers and retail dispensing locations, including 
tracking identification issued by the tracking system, the identity 
of the person transporting the drug or manufactured cannabis 
products, and how the items are transported.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom