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Hawaii’s first cannabis testing laboratory was certified Monday, a significant milestone for the fledgling medical marijuana industry.
Steep Hill Hawaii will begin testing pakalolo at 1150 S. King St. from dispensaries statewide, according to the state Department of Health, which oversees the medical cannabis program.
At least three of eight dispensary licensees have marijuana ready to sell but can’t open until an independent certified lab tests the potency and purity of the drug to ensure safety. PharmLabs Hawaii and Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii are also awaiting lab certification.
“It’s a big step for Hawaii and the medical marijuana industry,” said Dana Ciccone, CEO of Steep Hill. “We have worked tirelessly this past year to receive our certification so that patients can finally get safe and legal access to lab-tested Hawaii-
grown cannabis. Late next week dispensaries will be open.”
The lab will run seven different tests, which will take about four days from the time samples are collected. Once products clear the required tests for heavy metals, pesticides and microbial contamination, the DOH will conduct a final retail inspection before giving the dispensaries the green light to open for business.
Besides testing for dispensaries, Steep Hill also will test marijuana for registered patients and caregivers for $50 per sample, he said.
“This is a major step forward as it allows the dispensaries to now begin testing their products to sell to qualified patients,” Keith Ridley, chief of DOH’s Office of Health Care Assurance, who oversees the dispensary program, said in a news release.
Shortly after the lab announcement, Maui Grown Therapies notified its nearly 300 registered patients that cannabis samples were on the way to Honolulu for mandatory testing.
“We’re definitely ready,” said Teri Gorman, spokeswoman for Maui Grown Therapies in the Maui Lani Village Center in Wailuku. “We’re prepared to open as soon as possible.”
The dispensary has been registering patients since July, and said it will have a “soft opening” the day it receives final approval from the DOH. The company is planning to start sales appointments for registered patients before opening to the general public, she said.
“Certainly, we’re aware of pent-up demand in the community. We don’t want to see lines around the block, and we also want to avoid parking problems,” Gorman said. “We don’t want to be a nuisance to our neighbors. The last thing we want is some kind of circus going on. By managing our sales traffic during the soft opening, we can provide better service.”
Aloha Green Holdings Inc. on Oahu also is anxiously awaiting the start of marijuana sales.
“We are one step closer to providing long-awaited medicine to our community,” Tai Cheng, Aloha Green’s chief operating officer, said in a statement.
The Health Department is seeking additional laboratories to test cannabis on Kauai, Hawaii island, Maui and Oahu. Labs can apply for state certification at health.hawaii.gov/statelab.
Medical marijuana was legalized in Hawaii in 2000, but patients have no legal way to obtain the drug. As of June 30 there were 17,591 registered patients, up 573 from the month before.
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