Photo via Getty Images
The Virginia Board of Pharmacy in October awarded five conditional licenses to pharmaceutical processors for dispensing two oils derived from the marijuana plant, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THC-A).
Slated to open in 2019, the dispensaries will operate in different regions of the state. Maryland-based Green Leaf Medical will serve the Richmond area from a location on the city’s South Side.
The Board of Pharmacy received 51 applications by the June 8 deadline, after Gov. Ralph Northam signed legislation that opens the use of the cannabis oils to treat or alleviate symptoms of any condition a health practitioner determines would benefit from them. Uses include treatment for pain, inflammation, anxiety, nausea and migraines, among other conditions. The oils do not produce the high associated with smoking marijuana.
The new law expands 2016 legislation allowing practitioners to issue certifications for THC-A or CBD oil for the treatment of intractable epilepsy, and increases the allowable dispensed amount from a 30-day supply to a 90-day supply.
As of press time, 139 physicians in Virginia, including 26 in the Richmond area, were registered with the Board of Pharmacy to issue certifications.