Section 11-850-5 - Number of licenses per county(a) The department may issue eight dispensary licenses statewide including three licenses for the city and county of Honolulu, two licenses for the county of Hawaii, two licenses for the county of Maui, and one, license for the county of Kauai. No dispensary license shall be issued for the county of Kalawao.(b) Beginning October 1, 2018, the department may issue dispensary licenses in addition to those authorized by subsection (a), based on qualifying patient need; provided that: (1) No more than one license may be issued per five hundred qualifying patients residing in any single county;(2) In considering whether to award a new license, the department shall consider an applicant's capability to serve and supply medical cannabis to qualifying patients in a rural or underserved geographical area of a county; and(3) A "rural or underserved geographical area" shall be determined by considering the number of registered qualifying patients that reside within a certain zip code compared to the quantity of medical cannabis that the closest production center and retail dispensing location have the capability to provide.(c) The number of licenses the department issues is subject to the availability of qualified applicants in each county.[Eff DEC 14 2015] (Auth: HRS §§ 321-9, 329D-27) (Imp: HRS § 329D-2)[Am and comp 2/24/2022] (Auth: HRS § 329D-7) (Imp: HRS § 329D-7)