Meanwhile, a Richmond resident has two locations within a 16-mile radius to pick up prescription cannabis. There are currently 11 such dispensaries open across the state, according to cannabis legalization advocacy group Virginia NORML. Legal retail sales are only allowed by licensed dispensaries to medical patients. Find a practitioner and get certified for the medical cannabis program.
The good news is that subsequent legislation allowed originally approved producers to open five additional dispensaries each, with a total potential of 30 dispensaries spread across the state. One of the most important provisions would have allowed the state's four pre-existing medical dispensaries and some large industrial hemp processors to begin selling recreational marijuana in September. The Virginia Senate voted to accelerate the timeline for marijuana retail on Tuesday, approving a plan that would allow existing medical dispensaries to open sales to the general public in September.
