Hawaii Medical Marijuana: First Dispensary Opening On Maui

HONOLULU, HI — Puff, puff passed: Medical marijuana has arrived in Hawaii after Maui Grown Therapies received approval from state health officials to begin selling medical cannabis.

The dispensary plans to begin selling medical marijuana to patients Tuesday, 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. We're so excited."

The Maui dispensary has been pre-registering patients and will begin selling medical cannabis to patients by appointment only, Freitas Gorman said. Walk-in sales will start in about a week. (For more information on this and other Across Hawaii stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

"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 marijuana in 2000. But the state didn't legalize dispensaries until 2015, so the state's 18,000 patients had to grow or obtain the drug on their own.

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ, Associated Press

Image via Shutterstock