HONOLULU– The first medicinal cannabis dispensary on Kauai has received approval to open for business.
Have a Heart is expected to open its doors early next week. Hawaii’s Department of Health greenlighted the new dispensary late last week.
A final onsite inspection was required before the health department would issue its approval. Inspectors also needed to verify some lab testing requirements.
Have a Heart is now the sixth dispensary to be licensed in the state of Hawaii.
“Having a medical cannabis dispensary open on Kauai expands options for registered patients and their caregivers, providing greater access to meet medical needs,” said Keith Ridley, of the health department’s dispensary program, in a statement. “As dispensaries continue to open across the state, we remain committed to working collaboratively with the licensees to protect the safety of patients while ensuring an efficient and thorough inspection and certification process.”
Have a Heart is a retail partner of Green Aloha LTD. According to Green Aloha’s website, Have a Heart operates 5 cannabis dispensaries in Washington State.
Have a Heart’s Hawaii location is expected to sell a wide range of cannabis products including flower, topicals, CBD products, tinctures, topicals, and more.
Approved patients are permitted to buy up to four ounces of cannabis flower per 15 day period. They can purchase eight ounces overall for every 30 day period. Qualifying conditions for a cannabis recommendation include ALS, cancer, chronic pain, HIV, nausea, epilepsy, PTSD, and more.
Hawaii legalized medicinal cannabis in 2000 when former Governor Ben Cayetano signed Act 228 into law. However, 228 did not set up a regulatory framework for dispensaries. Cannabis shops were not legalized in Hawaii until 2015 when the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program of Hawaii. The dispensary program set up requirements for those who qualify for medicinal cannabis to register with the state. Act 241 was also passed in 2015 by state legislatures and tasked the Hawaii Department of Health with administering the dispensary program. In 2016, Senate Bill 321 was drafted by state legislators and capped the limit of cannabis dispensaries to a total of eight. In August 2017, the first medicinal cannabis dispensary opened.
