First Hawaii medical marijuana dispensary just opened after 17-year wait for patients
HONOLULU Dispensary sales of medical marijuana in Hawaii are beginning after patients waited 17 years for a legal way to purchase the drug.
Maui Grown Therapies received approval from the Department of Health to begin selling medical cannabis Tuesday.
The dispensary sold medical marijuana to patients for two hours Tuesday, limiting their hours to help manage the new process, said Teri Freitas Gorman, director of community relations and patient affairs.
Clearly this is a historic day not just for Maui but for the state of Hawaii, Freitas Gorman said. This is the first time in Hawaii that patients will be able to buy lab-tested, quality-assured medical cannabis from a state-licensed dispensary. Were so excited.
The Maui dispensary pre-registered patients and began selling medical cannabis to patients by appointment only. They made 22 transactions and there were some software glitches, but patients were very excited, Freitas Gorman said. Marijuana was sold for $20 per gram and $90 to $125 for a quarter-ounce, depending on the strain. Walk-in sales will start in about a week.
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 Virginia Pressler, director of the state Department of Health, in a statement. Implementing a new health program is always challenging, and the dispensary program was no exception.
Hawaii was among the first states to legalize medical ...
