The Hawai‘i State Department of Health Medical Marijuana Program confirmed this morning that it has officially issued an initial Notice to Proceed to grow for Kauai dispensary Green Aloha and an additional Notice to Proceed to grow for Oahu dispensary Manoa Botanicals for its second production center.

This means that now five of Hawai‘i’s eight dispensaries may acquire and begin production of medical marijuana products for patients – though none are yet able to open their retail locations to dispense the medicine – on Oahu, Aloha Green and Manoa Botanicals, on Maui, Maui Wellness Group and Pono Life Sciences Maui, and on Kauai, Green Aloha. No dispensary on the island of Hawai‘i has been issued a Notice to Proceed, and Cure Oahu on Oahu is still awaiting its Notice to Proceed as well.

Details about the progress of each of the dispensaries and the Department of Health’s current inspection protocols was provided at the last Act 230 Working Group meeting and available in our meeting notes here.

For those looking for when the dispensaries can officially open, as of this email, there is still no new news about the certification of a medical marijuana testing laboratory. Even after its certification, the dispensaries will still have to test their products prior to opening their doors. We should know more about the laboratory progress at the next Act 230 Working Group meeting on July 19th.

It is the Alliance’s mission to provide up-to-date and relevant industry information to the patients, current and future dispensaries, and related businesses of Hawai‘i’s growing medicinal cannabis industry. If you are not yet an Alliance member, join today to receive the HDA Industry Update and to take an active role in the future of Hawai‘i’s medical marijuana industry. Contact us today! You can also find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Let us know if you have any questions!