Hawaii lawmakers gave final passage last week to a bill that clears the way for medical marijuana dispensaries to open for business in the Islands as early as July 2016, but an expert says interested applicants will need a couple million dollars to become one of the state’s eight licensees.

The final draft of House Bill 321 passed by House and Senate lawmakers requires that applicants have at least $1 million in the bank and pay an application fee of $5,000 along with a $75,000 license fee due within seven days of acceptance by the Hawaii State Dept of Health. Selected licensees will be announced next April and distribution will begin that July.

Source: My Aloha Vibe

The owners of the Hotel Coral Reef on Kauai plan to add a third floor and six more rooms to the existing two-story, 16-unit hotel in Kapaa. The hotel received approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources for a 55-year lease extension for the continued use of the hotel on state land, with “substantial improvements to the existing structure” listed as a major condition. The $500,000 project is expected to begin in late spring and take up to seven months to finish.

The addition would increase the building’s height from 18 to 35 feet high, similar to nearby buildings such as the former Aloha Lumber Building, Otsuka’s Furniture Store and the Kauai Professional Building, all located on Kuhio Highway and more than 40 feet in height, the assessment said.

Officials from Koloa Rum on Kauai are expanding the reach of their products to at least four new states thanks to a new distribution agreement with statewide beverage distributor Young’s Market Company.

"Young’s Market Co. is an outstanding company that has consistently delivered exceptional value and service to Koloa Rum in California and Arizona over the past several years," Koloa Rum Co. President and CEO Bob Gunter said in a statement on Wednesday. "Expanding our partnership with Young’s in Hawaii and throughout their 10-state distribution footprint is a natural evolution in the ongoing growth and development of our brand." in Pacific Business News 

The new reach comes at a time when Koloa Rum officials are making gradual strides to expand the production of their products. Last summer, the County of Kauai Planning Commission approved plans for Koloa Rum Co. to construct a 45,000-square-foot production facility, 4,500-square-foot tasting room, 30 ,000-square-foot interactive garden, and other related structures on 16.7 acres of now vacant land in Koloa across the street from Anne Knudsen Park.

The Kauai Humane Society (KHS) provides the required inspection of animals for entry at the Lihue Airport for direct release as well as quarantine boarding of pets who do not qualify for direct release.

For direct release you must submit to the Animal Quarantine Station two rabies certificates and the Dog and Cat Import Form, 30 days (or more) prior to your scheduled arrival. The planned arrival date must be 120 days after the submission of the OIE-FAV RABIES BLOOD TEST.  

To reserve Direct Release with the Kauai Humane Society, you must call them at least 30 days prior to your flight arrival into Lihue.  At the time of direct release reservation, your flight must already be booked.

The Kauai Humane Society will need:

• Your contact information
• The name of the person bringing the animal
• The pet’s description including the pet’s microchip number
• Airline carrier, flight number, arrival date and time
• Payment at the time of reservation.

After reservation, the Kauai Humane Society, will fax to the Animal Quarantine Station the Lihue Airport Inspection Confirmation Form. The Animal Quarantine Station will email to KHS the Airport Release Card. Upon arrival at the Lihue Airport, a Kauai Humane Society representative will meet your pet(s) at the terminal to complete an inspection.  You must provide the original health certificate and the Neighbor Island Permit upon arrival for inspection.  Failure to bring the originals will prevent your animal from being released.  This process takes approximately 15-20 minutes.  Once complete, you and your pet(s) may leave directly from the airport.

Source: Kauai Humane Society

Hawaii lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on the implementation of a medical marijuana dispensary system, but the bill will return to conference committee on Monday under different leadership on the Senate side. Sen. Josh Green, D-Kona-Kau, was discharged as the Senate chair late Friday, and replaced by Sen. Will Espero, D-Ewa Beach, while Sen. Les Ihara, D-Kaimuki-Moiliili, was added as a Senate conferee. The bill would have authorized an official dispensary operating date of May 1, 2016.

Hawaii developer Ed Bushor has closed on the purchase of the unfinished Kauai Lagoons master-planned oceanfront community after coming up with the remaining $20 million of the $60 million acquisition from Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp. PBN has obtained the deed, dated for Thursday, for the remaining $20 million portion that Bushor and his partners had owed the Orlando, Florida, time-share giant. 

Source: Travelocity

The family-owned business and Koloa landmark, Sueoka's store has been sold to the Kosasa family of Honolulu who owns the parent company of Hawaii-based ABC Stores for $6M. Honolulu-based SMK Inc. purchased the nine separate properties that make up the Koloa grocery store and snack shop for a total of 62,526-square-feet of land and 6,308-square-feet of building space from Sueoka Store parent Jan Inc.

Sueoka's store was founded in 1918 by Mankichi Sueoka as a camp store that many of the sugar plantation field laborers frequented. In 1933, it moved to its present location in Koloa town. The Sueoka family will continue to run the store, which is located in the heart of old Koloa Town, for four more years until 2019, the centennial anniversary of its founding.

Cruise on down to the 3rd Annual Boy's Day Hare and Hound Poker Run, to be held on Sunday, May 3rd in Omao. Reside Kauai is happy to support local causes of organization such as the Garden Island Motorcycle Club (GIMC). Founded in 1945, GIMC is a non-profit, off-road motorcycle riding club.

A donation of 40 acres of wetland taro located in Waioli Valley was given by Gaylord and Carol Wilcox, and their daughters Nicole Pedersen, Darcie Gray and Eliza Wilcox. The conservation easements place permanent restrictions on the important farm land protecting it from future development and degradation. "If lands like these are not protected for the long term, we believe pressures that are evident now for housing development will win out," says Wilcox in the Daily Journal. 

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