DOH Approves Med Marijuana Growing Centers

Big IslandNow stock photo.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health today issued Notices to Proceed to Acquire and Cultivate Marijuana to Manoa Botanicals LLC for its second production center on O‘ahu and to Green Aloha Ltd. for its first production center on Kaua‘i. The licensees have met all requirements to begin growing marijuana at their approved facilities.

The licensees have met all requirements to begin growing marijuana at their approved facilities.

Each of the state’s eight dispensary licensees is allowed to operate two production centers and two retail sites for a total of 16 production centers and 16 retail dispensary locations statewide. Each production center may grow up to 3,000 marijuana plants.

Manoa Botanicals is the third dispensary licensee in the state to complete and operate two medical marijuana production centers. Green Aloha Ltd. is the is the fifth dispensary licensee to receive approval to acquire and grow marijuana at its first production center.

In May, Aloha Green Holdings and Maui Grown Therapies received approvals for their second production centers on O‘ahu and Maui respectively. In February, Pono Life Sciences on Maui became the fourth licensee to operate a production center.

“The dispensary licensees have made excellent progress in developing their production sites in compliance with all state laws and regulations to provide a safe product and ensure patient and public health and safety,” said Keith Ridley, chief of the DOH Office of Health Care Assurance. “All of the licensees have worked hard to meet state standards to create a quality industry in Hawai‘i.”

“We’ve put considerable research, time and money into building a growing facility with the most current technology available to ensure consistent, high-quality products for our patients,” said Brian Goldstein, chief executive officer of Manoa Botanicals. “Our nursery plants are ready to go and we can’t wait to see our first harvest this summer.”

“It took a lot of work to comply with the state laws and regulations to grow cannabis, but it is all worth it because the result is safer, higher quality medicine for Kaua‘i’s patients,” said Justin Britt, chief executive officer of Green Aloha.

To receive a Notice to Proceed from DOH, dispensary production centers must comply with statutory and regulatory requirements that include building a secure, enclosed indoor facility; operating a computer software tracking system that interfaces with the state’s system and submits current inventory data of all marijuana seeds, plants and manufactured products in the production center; and authorization from the Narcotics Enforcement Division of the Hawai‘i State Department of Public Safety.

More information on the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program is available online.

A total of eight medical marijuana dispensary licenses were issued in April 2016.

Two licenses for the County of Hawai‘i were issued to Hawaiian Ethos LLC and Lau Ola LLC.

Three dispensary licenses for the City and County of Honolulu were issued to Aloha Green Holdings Inc., Manoa Botanical LLC and TCG Retro Market 1 LLC (dba Cure Oahu).

Two licenses for the County of Maui were issued to Maui Wellness Group LLC and Pono Life Sciences Maui LLC.

One license for the County of Kaua‘i was issued to Green Aloha Ltd.