Maui Dispensary is First in State to Begin Sales of Medical Cannabis

Maui Wellness Group, LLC dba Maui Grown Therapies is the first licensed medical cannabis dispensary in the state to receive the green light from the Hawai‘i Department of Health to begin selling medical cannabis to registered patients and their caregivers.

Maui Grown Therapies carries this “Royal Hawaiian” flower. Its milky trichomes produce the cannabinoids responsible for symptom relief. “Royal Hawaiian” is 14.2% THC, with no CBD and MGT says it is effective for pain relief. All of MGT’s medicinal cannabis plants are grown indoors using organic methods.

The Department of Health issued a formal notice to proceed to Maui Grown Therapies today after the dispensary completed laboratory testing requirements and passed its final onsite inspection on Monday.

The licensed retail center for Maui Grown Therapies is located at 44 Pa‘a Street in Kahului, Maui.

Representatives at Maui Grown Therapies say they will transact the state’s first legal sale of medical cannabis today.  State health officials say the dispensary will begin selling dried medical cannabis flowers as one its first product.

The company planned to open with a selection of derivative products such as oils, lotions, concentrates and tinctures, but the Department of Health has not yet certified a lab to test manufactured cannabis products.

Maui Grown Therapies will open for sales to the public on Mon, Aug 14. Regular operating hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is closed Sundays and all federal and state holidays.

“It’s been a long, winding road to get here and we’re extremely excited,” said cofounder Gregory Park, MD. “We want to thank State Senator Roz Baker and Representative Della Bellati for their leadership and the Department of Health for establishing high compliance standards for this emerging industry. Getting to this day required hard work, cooperation and patience, but it’s worth it to be able to bring this alternative therapy to our Maui community.”

Maui Grown Therapies will ease into operations with a short “soft opening week” during which patients who have gone through pre-opening intake will be able to purchase by appointment. Then, on Monday, Aug. 14, walk-in business and regular operating hours (Mon-Sat, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.) will commence at the company’s dispensary at the Maui Lani Village Center.

There is no charge to patients who want to meet with the company’s Patient Education Specialists to learn how medical cannabis can help manage their symptoms and which cannabis cultivars or derivative products are best suited for their condition and lifestyle.

“This is an important day for qualified patients and caregivers on Maui who now have assurance the medical cannabis they purchase at Maui Grown Therapies has been thoroughly tested and is safe for them to use,” said Health Director Dr. Virginia Pressler. “Implementing a new health program is always challenging, and the dispensary program was no exception. With legal guidance from Department of the Attorney General, the DOH team paved the way for this new industry in Hawai‘i and has set a new standard for dispensary programs other states can emulate.”

The rigorous dispensary approval processes 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.

Guidelines for Cannabis Possession and Purchase:

• 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.
• It is illegal to use or possess medical cannabis on any federally owned property such as military installations and national parks.
• When bringing medical cannabis home after purchasing it from a dispensary, the medical cannabis must be in a sealed container and not visible to the public.

There are eight licensed dispensaries in Hawai‘i. There are three on O‘ahu: Aloha Green Holdings Inc.; Mānoa Botanicals LLC; and TCG Retro Market 1, LLC dba Cure Oahu. There are 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. These dispensaries are now at different stages of development by the licensees, and at varying stages of the approval process.