Hawaii licenses another medical cannabis dispensary on Oahu
Hawaii regulators have licensed the state’s 25th medical cannabis dispensary, the 11th on the island of Oahu.The permit went to Manoa Botanicals, which does business as Noa Botanicals, according to a news release from the state health department.
ADVERTISEMENT The Honolulu retailer was slated to begin MMJ sales April 19, the eve of the industry’s biggest retail day of the year, the Star-Advertiser reported.Here’s a breakdown from the health department: of dispensaries on the main Hawaiian Islands: Hawaii: six.
Kauai: two.Maui: six.
The state said in December that it had issued a 25th dispensary license to Cure Oahu.But since then, Hawaii has seemingly lost a licensed dispensary: Pono Life Sciences Maui at 415 Dairy Road – which lost its license for a month in 2021 – apparently has closed for good since that December announcement.
Pono did not immediately return an MJBizDaily call seeking clarification.The Noa Botanicals opening comes amid efforts in the Hawaii Legislature to expand the state’s medical marijuana program after efforts to legalize adult-use again failed to advance.
ADVERTISEMENT The number of registered MMJ patients in Hawaii has been gradually falling since at least September 2023.At the end of February, there were 29,820 in-state patients, down from 31,581 in February 2024, or roughly 5.5%, according to the latest statistics from Hawaii’s health department.
However, the state allows visitors with medical marijuana patient cards from other U.S.markets to register for a temporary Hawaii MMJ card.
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