David Y. Ige

 

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) has issued a formal notice to proceed to TCG Retro Market 1, LLC dba Cure Oahu after the dispensary completed laboratory testing requirements and passed its final onsite inspection. Cure Oahu is the fifth licensed medical cannabis dispensary in the state, and the third on O‘ahu, to receive approval to begin sales of medical cannabis to registered patients and their caregivers.

The licensed retail center for Cure Oahu is located at 727 Kapahulu Avenue in Honolulu. The dispensary expects to begin sales of indica, sativa and hybrid cannabis flower strains, as well as lozenges and tinctures, when it opens to registered patients. At a later time, the dispensary will offer oils and other cannabis products.

“Ensuring patient safety through product safety is our top priority,” said Keith Ridley, who oversees DOH’s medical cannabis dispensary program and serves as chief of the Office of Health Care Assurance. “We continue to work collaboratively with the licensed dispensaries and private laboratories to help them meet the legal requirements efficiently while keeping patient safety top-of-mind.”

Hawai‘i Revised Statutes Chapter 329D and Hawai‘i Administrative Rules Chapter 11-850 govern the rigorous dispensary approval process to open and begin selling medical cannabis. To ensure the highest standards of quality and care, dispensaries are required to comply with all state and county health and safety regulations. Dispensaries are subject to unannounced inspections by DOH.

The other licensed retail centers include:

• Maui Grown Therapies, located at 44 Pa‘a Street in Kahului, Maui, which received a notice to proceed on Aug. 8, 2017;
• Aloha Green, in the Interstate Building at 1314 South King Street in Honolulu, which received its notice to proceed on Aug. 9, 2017;
• Pono Life Sciences Maui LLC, at 415 Dairy Road in Kahului, Maui, which received its notice to proceed on Sept. 29, 2017; and
• Noa Botanicals, located at 1308 Young Street in Honolulu, which received its notice to proceed on Oct. 9, 2017.

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. 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.

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.

There are eight licensed dispensaries in Hawai‘i. There are three on O‘ahu: Aloha Green Holdings Inc.; Mānoa Botanicals LLC dba Noa Botanicals; and TCG Retro Market 1, LLC dba Cure Oahu. There are two in Hawai‘i County: Hawaiian Ethos LLC and Lau Ola LLC. The two Maui dispensaries include Maui Wellness Group, LLC dba Maui Grown Therapies; and Pono Life Sciences Maui, LLC. The one dispensary located on Kaua‘i is Green Aloha, Ltd. Each licensed dispensary is an independent business and operates based on their individual business plans.

More information on the Medical Cannabis Dispensary Program is available at www.health.hawaii.gov/medicalcannabis/.

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Media Contact:
Janice Okubo
Communications Office
(808) 586-4445