Virginia Chooses First Cannabis Dispensaries In The State

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]V[/dropcap]irginia officials have chosen the first five medical cannabis dispensaries to be approved for operation.

The winners were announced on Sept. 25 by the Virginia Board of Pharmacy, out of 51 contenders, to be the first dispensaries in Virginia. The dispensaries, each in a designated health area of Virginia, must still pass background checks before the conditional licensing is finalized.

Virginia just expanded its medical cannabis allowances beyond CBD and THC-A oil for severe epilepsy to include cancer, Chron’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder. The bill, which passed in the spring, allows for oils that contain a least 15 percent CBD of THC-A and no more than five percent THC.

“I think it’s good news for Virginia,” said Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML. “We haven’t seen from the out-of-state companies any glaring failures in compliance from the states they are operating in. Columbia Care and PharmaCann are some of the best in the business.”

The companies will be responsible for both growing and dispensing cannabis and are expected to open their doors in about a year. They include PharmaCann, which will cover the areas between Fredricksburg, Charlottesville and the Shenandoah Valley; Columbia Care, which will be anchored in the Hampton Roads area;  Dharma Pharmaceuticals, which will be in southwest Virginia; Dalitso LLC, which will cover northern Virginia’ and Green Leaf Medical, which will cover Richmond and southside Virginia.

“To me, there’s been enough research done to show the benefits,” said Staunton mayor Carolyn Dull. Staunton is where MediCann plans to open its facility.  “It’s a win-win, and it means more jobs and opportunities for people in Staunton, as well as helping people with medical issues.”

Entrepreneurs in the state were disappointed Virginia chose large companies instead of supporting local businesses.

“The five companies are very large national companies with big money behind them. It’s very discouraging,” said Chantra Stevenson, COO of applicant Rx Native Pharmaceuticals. The company already had a lease rights with a former homeland security research facility. “The barrier to entry is just so high. Being a woman of minority, it makes it much harder to swallow.”