Hawaii’s First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opening June 8

Aloha Green dispensary is set to open its doors on June 8, but won’t have any medicine for patients to purchase. The state’s testing facilities still haven’t been certified, so marijuana products can’t be sold until testing is completed.

Aloha Green is going to be open as a means of patient outreach and information for the time being, Hawaii News Now reports. Anyone will be permitted to come inside to receive information until products are available for sale. Once the dispensary has medicine for patients, only patients will be allowed inside.

Tai Cheng of Aloha Green said, “Once they saw that it wasn’t this dingy, scary place, then they started to see it’s something legitimate that will provide relief for a lot of patients.”

After checking in, when products are available, patients will be given a “buzzer,” similar to the ones received when waiting for a table at a restaurant. When it’s a patient’s turn, their “buzzer” will go off. Then they’ll be admitted to the back area to purchase medicine.

Due to the business having to be cash-only, extra security and safety measures will be in place.

Cheng also said, “We will have a third party security hired that will be roving the surrounding area so they’ll try to protect not only the patients, but to make sure if anything were to happen that they can respond to police.”

Dispensaries are spending tens of thousands of dollars every month, but have no income coming in due to the delay on the state’s part of certifying testing labs.

Aloha Green has harvested four crops in the last month. It’s keeping the medical marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags to preserve it.

Cheng said, “It’s frustrating for our team and our growers. You’re able to hold that product for an extended period of time between 6 – 12 months, but oxidation of the product does cause it to lose not only its flavor but its efficiency as well.”

The health department hopes that sales can begin this summer as they’re waiting for the labs to prove the accuracy of their testing processes.

Keith Ridley of the Office of Health Care Assurance said, “It has to be done in the right way and we think we’re going about a very deliberate path to make sure the law is followed.”