Two local companies approved to grow state’s first legal medical marijuana
Aloha Green Holdings Inc. on Oahu and Maui Grown Therapies, led by former Maui Land and Pineapple CEO David Cole, received approval Wednesday from the Health Department to begin growing the state’s first legal medical marijuana.
The companies plan to begin cannabis sales as early as this summer after each winning one of eight licenses in April to open up to two retail dispensaries and two production centers that can each grow up to 3,000 pakalolo plants.
“This announcement marks a significant milestone for the industry and resumes a delayed timeline for Hawaii’s eight licensed dispensaries,” said Aloha Green chief operating officer Tai Cheng, adding that licensees have been waiting for the Department of Health to install an online seed-to-sale tracking system that will monitor marijuana inventory and sales. “Building this industry from the ground up is challenging and complex. It’s a team effort.”
Maui Grown Therapies will open a retail storefront at 44 Paʻa St. in the Maui Lani Village Center in Kahului, while Aloha Green anticipates sales to begin in about three or four months at a dispensary in the Interstate Building on 1314 South King St.
Before retail sales can begin, the DOH must still contract with laboratories to test the potency and purity of the drugs, and the seed-to-sale tracking system must be able to connect with the state’s patient registry system to ensure patients do not purchase more than 4 ounces in a 15-day period. The law is silent on where the dispensaries will get the seeds or plants for cultivation.
The DOH said it is reviewing two applications from testing laboratories seeking to open on Maui and Oahu. The department also expects to connect the seed-to-sale tracking system with the patient registry in about eight to 12 weeks.
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Hawaii legalized medical cannabis in 2000, but patients did not have a legal way to obtain the drug. Act 241, passed in 2015, allowed the state to issue eight licenses for 16 production centers and 16 dispensaries that were allowed to open as early as July 15.
There are more than 15,000 medical marijuana patients registered with the state.
2 responses to “Two local companies approved to grow state’s first legal medical marijuana”
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You can bet there is an increasing demand for armed security guards about now.
What total bs. If the state honestly wanted to follow the wishes of their constituents, this would have been done already. Colorado is an excellent example of how to proceed. Politicians always looking for ways to dip their beaks.