Maui Dispensary to Feature a Unique Education Center
One of the two cannabis dispensaries authorized to operate within Maui County in Hawaii will include a public cannabis education center.
Pono Life Sciences Maui, LLC revealed plans for their Kahului dispensary to a gathering of community leaders and politicians last week. The group is not currently selling medical cannabis because they are still awaiting final approval from the Department of Health to begin operation. The event was aimed at educating those in attendance about the company’s plan to provide the next generation of naturally grown cannabis.
“We are continuously honored with this opportunity to provide scientifically-oriented medical cannabis products to the Maui community, helping individuals with debilitating diseases improve their quality of life,” said Michael Takano, Pono Life Maui’s chief executive officer. “We will be introducing numerous strains of our cannabis to help patients of all ages dealing with unfortunate and, at times seemingly unbearable discomfort. If we can just make life a little more comfortable for them, we are making an impact.”
The company will offer products aimed at patients suffering from debilitating conditions like; pain, cancer, glaucoma, inflammation, HIV/AIDs, seizures, persistent muscle spasms, Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and wasting of the body due to chronic illness. Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Racquel Bueno said potential patients will be walked through the process of choosing the right cannabis treatment for them.
“For patients that we’ve spoken with, the biggest issue is that they don’t know how to navigate their way from the very beginning,” Bueno said. “Does marijuana help them? How do you find somebody who will help them get a card? How do you get a card? All of those things are very difficult to navigate.”
Pono Life Sciences anticipates employing around 30 workers once they are given the go ahead to begin production. It is unsure when exactly that will take place.
“We’ve been ready for the most part right out of the gate,” he said. “We contracted this (building) last spring, and we’ve been under lease since July 12, so it’s been very expensive for us. We’ve spent a great deal of capital on infrastructure and planning.”
Pono is one of two Maui groups that have been licensed to open a dispensary. Maui Grown Therapies announced their first location last week.
