Oahu’s second pakalolo purveyor is OK’d to open

Oahu’s second marijuana dispensary, Noa Botanicals, will open Wednesday at the former Krazy Karaoke building at 1308 Young St.

The company received approval Monday from the state Health Department to begin selling a variety of medical cannabis grown in an indoor cultivation facility. The business is one block away from the island’s first pakalolo retailer, Aloha Green Apothecary, which opened in August.

“We will have four strains of dried flower at opening, followed by another four to six strains and manufactured products such as tincture, oils and concentrates shortly after opening,” Brian Goldstein, CEO of Noa Botanicals, said in a news release. He has said the company’s primary goal is to educate the public on the medicinal value of cannabis as a natural alternative to prescription drugs.

The shop will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and noon to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It will be closed on Sundays and open by appointment only for private patient consultations on Mondays.

The retailer said it will manufacture lotions and lozenges once the state certifies a laboratory to test those types of products. Noa Botanicals, which has 27 employees, will sell oils that can be used for baking so patients can make their own edibles.

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii are allowed to sell derivatives — such as lotions, oils and tinctures — but are not allowed to sell edibles, such as cookies, brownies or candy.

Meanwhile, Maui’s second dispensary, Pono Life Maui, has started marijuana sales by appointment only.

Hawaii was among the first states to legalize medical cannabis in 2000, but patients had no legal way to obtain the drug. Maui Grown Therapies in August became the first dispensary to open in Hawaii.

There were 19,190 medical marijuana patients registered with the state as of Sept. 30, with the most common condition being severe pain. That’s up from 14,638 in September 2016.