If you are looking for a medical cannabis dispensary in Richmond, VA, there are a few to consider. You should visit the Green Leaf Medical dispensary, or you can check out the Columbia Care dispensary if you are located in Glen Allen, Virginia.
GLeaf Medical Expands Cannabis Program To Include Patients With Epilepsy
In March of 2019, Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill into law that expands the scope of the state’s medical cannabis program. To start with, the new regulations no longer shackle physicians with the burden of certifying patients for cannabis use. This is great news for patients with epilepsy.
For starters, a patient could now obtain medical cannabis from a dispensary. As of October of last year, this was possible at two locations in Virginia. There are also plans to add five more dispensaries across the state. The new law is expected to boost revenues to $250 million by 2022.
Similarly, the state’s program for low-THC cannabis isn’t growing fast enough to keep up with demand. Until that change, patients with epilepsy could only get cannabidiol oil. These products, while effective, come with side effects.
Green Leaf Medical Plans To Open a Satellite Cannabis Dispensary In a Shuttered Burger King
gLeaf Medical, a medical marijuana dispensary company based in Richmond, plans to open a satellite cannabis dispensary in a shuttered Burger King near Southpark Mall in Colonial Heights. Green Leaf Medical, which opened its first two dispensaries in South Richmond last week, plans to spend at least $500,000 to build out the facility.
The company also operates a marijuana growing facility at 2804 Decatur St. in South Richmond, a processing and distribution center, and three retail dispensaries in the Greater Richmond area. It is not known what products are being sold at the three stores, but a variety of edibles are popular at the one in Manchester.
Another marijuana company, Columbia Care, announced that it has closed on its $42 million acquisition of Medicine Man, a cannabis manufacturer in Connecticut. Columbia Care holds licenses in 18 states and the EU, and operates 99 dispensaries.
Chesterfield County Officials Reject a Building Permit For a Medical Cannabis Dispensary
Chesterfield County officials refused to issue a building permit for a medical cannabis dispensary in Richmond, citing federal law. The county cited the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as the basis for their decision.
Under federal law, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it is considered a substance with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. However, Virginia has enacted legislation that allows medical cannabis to be cultivated and sold in certain locations.
Green Leaf Medical, a company located in Richmond, Virginia, opened a dispensary in November 2020. It plans to open additional medical marijuana stores in the Richmond area in the future. In September of 2020, Green Leaf began harvesting the first crop of marijuana at its facility south of the James River.
Columbia Care Inc. Has Opened a Third Dispensary In Glen Allen, Va.
The state’s third-largest cannabis producer, Columbia Care Inc., recently opened a third dispensary in Glen Allen, VA. Located on Glen Allen Road in the Richmond suburb of Montgomeryville, the new location is part of Columbia Care’s ongoing effort to expand its presence in Virginia.
Currently, there are eleven dispensaries in Virginia. Two more are planned for the coming years. However, the long regulatory road ahead may delay the availability of products.
Since medical marijuana was first approved in Virginia, only patients with a registered doctor have been allowed to legally purchase products. This has made it difficult for providers to provide their patients with the products they need. Until now, the only way to obtain marijuana in the state was to grow it yourself.
Several pharmaceutical processors are currently cultivating marijuana and are submitting medical cannabis products to the state’s Board for approval. During the 2022 General Assembly session, lawmakers attempted to advance legislation that would allow limited retail sales later this year. Unfortunately, the bill failed to make it out of the GOP-controlled House of Delegates.
Gov. Ralph Northam’s Plan To Legalize Marijuana
Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia is expected to ask the legislature to legalize marijuana this July. It’s been a long time coming, but the state has finally moved to make cannabis more accessible. The law will allow adults over the age of 21 to legally possess one ounce of marijuana.
As part of the new law, adults will also be allowed to grow up to four plants. This could help create a market with a lot of diversity. However, racial disparities continue in marijuana possession charges. Despite the reduction of penalties to $25 in civil fines last year, Black Virginians are still arrested for marijuana charges at nearly three times the rate of white Virginians.
Richmond’s Mayor Levar Stoney sent a letter to Virginia lawmakers on August 18 urging them to support legalization. He also asked lawmakers to pass a tax system for recreational marijuana.
