Medical Marijuana Virginia Frequently Asked Questions

Is weed legal in Virginia? The history of medical marijuana in Virginia is different from most other US states. The Virginia government legalized medical marijuana in 1979 to treat glaucoma or to manage the side effects of chemotherapy. However, very few patients were actually prescribed medical marijuana in the 1980s and 1990s due to conflicts with federal law and a lack of a distribution mechanism.

The Virginia government implemented mechanisms for medical marijuana distribution in 1998, although there still were not any formal dispensaries in place. In 2015, Virginia voted to expand medical marijuana treatment to include those with epilepsy. The state started a more formal medical marijuana program in 2018, which is when the first medical dispensaries in Virginia started to open. At this point, the state expanded the program to include more medical conditions.

Marijuana has become even more accessible in Virginia in recent years due to decriminalization and eventual legalization. However, eligible patients can still get a Virginia MMJ card, which allows you to purchase higher quantities of marijuana at a lower tax rate.

In order to get a medical marijuana card in Virginia, you will need to have a qualifying condition that a doctor believes could benefit from a medical marijuana prescription. This allows for some flexibility when it comes to getting your medical marijuana card. Some of the most common conditions for medical marijuana prescriptions in Virginia include cancer, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and many others.

If you live in another state but spend a lot of time in Virginia, you may be wondering if Virginia offers reciprocity for people who have medical marijuana cards. Unfortunately, Virginia does not yet offer medical marijuana reciprocity. However, the state recently did legalized recreational marijuana for those over the age of 21. Once recreational dispensaries are set up in Virginia, you can purchase cannabis products there, albeit in smaller quantities.

However, there are some other states that offer medical marijuana reciprocity and will accept a medical card from Virginia. The most notable states nearby that offer medical marijuana reciprocity include Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Maine, although there are several others spread throughout the country. If you are interested in purchasing or consuming marijuana in another state, be sure to look up their laws before you visit to avoid severe penalties.

Patients who consume large quantities of marijuana can often benefit from growing their own plants. The rules for growing marijuana in Virginia have expanded recently with the new recreational legalization. This means that anyone over the age of 21 can grow up to four plants at their primary residence.

Each plant must be hidden from public view, stored securely, and tagged with the name and driver’s license number of the owner. There has been some confusion about this new grow law among residents, as the purchase of seeds is still illegal. We can expect some clarification on this matter as recreational dispensaries eventually open up.

Yes, there are plenty of Virginia dispensary locations for medical marijuana cardholders. Right now, the state is divided into five zones, with two dispensaries in each zone. This means there are 10 total medical marijuana dispensaries. Most of these dispensaries are located in major cities or towns to make them more accessible to patients.