Aloha Green Approved to Begin Selling Medical Cannabis

File image from California State University.

Aloha Green, LLC has received approval from the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) to begin sales of medical cannabis to licensed patients and their caregivers. The O‘ahu-based dispensary is the second in the state to receive the go-ahead, and the first on O‘ahu island.

“The opening of a licensed dispensary on O‘ahu is a major milestone for the more than 5,000 qualified patients and caregivers in Honolulu,” said Health Director Dr. Virginia Pressler. “Our staff continues to work with all the licensees as they build their facilities and business operations in compliance with county and state laws to ensure product and patient safety.”

Aloha Green’s retail dispensary is located at the Interstate Building on 1314 South King Street in Honolulu. When it opens, the retailer is approved to sell dried medical cannabis flowers to registered patients.

The rigorous dispensary approval process to open and begin selling medical cannabis are based on the requirements of Hawai‘i Revised Statutes Chapter 329D and Hawai‘i Administrative Rules Chapter 11-850. Dispensaries are required to comply with all state and county, health, safety and sanitation regulations, and are subject to unannounced inspections by DOH.

Under state law, registered patients and their caregivers may purchase up to four ounces of medical cannabis during a 15 consecutive day period, and purchase a maximum of eight ounces over a 30 consecutive day period. All use of medical cannabis must be on private property and 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. Use of medical cannabis on federally owned properties such as military installations and national parks is illegal. When bringing medical cannabis home after purchasing it from a dispensary, the product must be in a sealed container and not visible to the public.

Currently, there are eight licensed dispensaries in Hawai‘i including: three on O‘ahu (Aloha Green Holdings Inc., Mānoa Botanicals, LLC, and TCG Retro Market 1, LLC, dba Cure O‘ahu), two in Hawai‘i County (Hawaiian Ethos, LLC and Lau Ola, LLC), two on Maui (Maui Wellness Group, LLC dba Maui Grown Therapies and Pono Life Sciences Maui, LLC) and one on Kaua‘i (Green Aloha, Ltd.).