Third Hawaii medical marijuana dispensary ready to grow
HONOLULU Hawaii has given the green light to a third dispensary to begin acquiring and growing marijuana.
Oahu-based Manoa Botanicals got the state Department of Healths permission on Thursday. Aloha Green Holdings Inc. of Oahu and Maui Grown Therapies are the only other businesses that have received state approval for cultivation out of the states eight licensed dispensaries.
The approvals allow the dispensaries to acquire and grow marijuana seeds, clones and plants. The dispensaries may provide marijuana and marijuana products to patients registered with the department.
The state Legislature legalized medical marijuana dispensaries in 2015. But until last month the state lacked a federally required software system to track the product from seed to sale.
Before retail sales can begin, the health department must still test the marijuana products and connect patient registries to the tracking system.
Health officials said they are reviewing two applications from testing laboratories seeking to open on Maui and Oahu.
Medical marijuana was legalized in Hawaii in 2000, but the state ...
