Hawaii island now has four licensed medical cannabis dispensaries, bringing the statewide total to 11.

The state Department of Health announced today that it issued Big Island Grown Dispensaries a formal notice to proceed after it passed its final onsite inspection. The new dispensary, run by Lau Ola LLC dba Big Island Grown Dispensaries, is located at 74-5617 Pawai Place in Kailua-Kona

“Big Island Grown’s Kona dispensary further expands the accessibility of cannabis for medical use for registered patients,” said Michele Nakata, supervisor of DOH’s Medical Cannabis Dispensary Licensing Program, in a news release. “We continue to work with licensees to ensure the sale of safe products that comply with state laws and regulations.”

With the latest addition, there are now a total of 11 licensed retail dispensary locations – one on Kauai, two on Maui, four on Oahu, and four on Hawaii island.

Nearly 30% of the more than 26,000 patients, and 22% of over 2,000 registered caregivers across the state reside on Hawaii island, according to the Department of Health. The primary qualifying medical condition reported for registered adult patients is severe pain. The primary reported condition for children under 18 years is seizures.

Big Island Grown Dispensaries opened its first retail center in Hilo in January, and its second location in Waimea in March. The Kailua-Kona location is its third.

Each licensed dispensary in the state operates as an independent business, but is required to comply with all state and county health and safety regulations, and is subject to unannounced state Health Department inspections.

Registered patients and caregivers may purchase up to 4 ounces of medical cannabis during a 15-consecutive day period and a maximum of 8 ounces over a 30-consecutive day period. The medical cannabis must be transported home in a sealed container, without public visibility.

All use of medical cannabis must be on private property. Medical cannabis may not be used in a car while on the road, at work, at the beach, on hiking trails or in any other public space. It is illegal to use or possess medical cannabis on any federally owned property such as military installations and national parks.

Visit the state’s Medical Cannabis Program website for more information.

Other licensed retail centers operating in Hawaii include:

>> Maui Grown Therapies, 44 Paa St. in Kahului, Maui

>> Aloha Green, in the Interstate Building at 1314 South King St. in Honolulu, Oahu

>> Pono Life Sciences Maui LLC, at 415 Dairy Road in Kahului, Maui

>> Noa Botanicals, 1308 Young St. in Honolulu, Oahu

>> Cure Oahu, 727 Kapahulu Ave. in Honolulu, Oahu

>> Green Aloha Dispensary, 4-1565 Kuhio Highway in Kapaa, Kauai

>> Big Island Grown Dispensaries, 750 Kanoelehua Ave., Suite 104, Hilo, Hawaii

>> Noa Botanicals, located at 46-28 Kawa St. in Kaneohe, Oahu

>> Big Island Grown Dispensaries, 64-1040 Mamalahoa Highway, Suite 101 in Kamuela, Hawaii

>> Hawaiian Ethos, 73-5613 Olowalu Street, Suite 7, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii