Get a Virginia Medical Marijuana Card

Next steps after approval

Congratulations on getting approved for your medical certification! You’ll get two emails from the state once you’ve been certified.

1. The first will confirm that your patient account has been created and include a login link.
2. The second will let you access your digital certification. You can also log in to your CCA Portal account and view your certification in the Account Dashboard tab at any time.

How to renew your med card in Virginia

Renewing your Virginia medical cannabis certification is simple and very similar to getting certified for the first time. A certification expires one year after it is issued (or earlier if your practitioner set a shorter term), so book your renewal visit before that date.

Renewal process with Leafwell

1. Sign in to your Leafwell account or register as a renewal patient here.
2. Speak to a Virginia-licensed provider online.
3. Once approved, they issue a new digital written certification in the state’s CCA Portal.
4. You will receive a “Written Certification for Medical Cannabis Issued” email from the state with a link to your new digital certification.
5. Go to your nearest dispensary with your certification and a government-issued ID to shop for medical products.

Next steps after renewal

Congratulations on renewing your Virginia cannabis card with Leafwell. You’ll receive an email from the state shortly to access your new certification.

Legal limitations for cardholders in Virginia

No state registration required: Since July 1, 2022 (HB 933 / SB 671), patients, parents and legal guardians have not needed to register with the state or hold a state card to buy at a licensed dispensary. The program has been run by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) since January 1, 2024, and since December 1, 2025 every certification is issued digitally through the CCA Portal.

Certification from a practitioner required: You still need a written certification from a Virginia-licensed physician (MD or DO), physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse to buy medical cannabis products.

Dispensing limits: A dispensary may dispense up to a 90-day supply of cannabis products per 90 days, and no more than four ounces of botanical cannabis (flower) per 30 days. Products may contain up to 10 mg of THC per dose.

Possession limits: Adults 21 and over may possess up to two ounces of cannabis in public (raised from one ounce in 2026). Consuming cannabis in any public place is illegal.

Adult-use sales start July 1, 2027: Possession and home cultivation have been legal for adults since 2021, but no licensed store may sell to adults without a certification until July 1, 2027, under the 2026 budget agreement. Until then, dispensaries are medical-only.

CBD and Delta-8: Virginia measures total THC — delta-8, delta-9 and every other isomer combined. A hemp product may not exceed 0.3% total THC, and since August 15, 2026 may not contain more than 2 mg of total THC per package. Synthetically derived THC, which covers most commercial delta-8, is banned. If you want THC, a certification is the legal route.

Cultivation is allowed: Adults 21 and over may grow up to four plants per household at their primary residence, tagged and out of public view (Va. Code § 4.1-1101). This is an adult-use right; a certification does not extend it to patients under 21.

Federal law: Since April 28, 2026, cannabis dispensed under a state medical program is federal Schedule III, but it remains illegal to carry it across state lines or onto federal property.

How to become a caregiver in Virginia

Virginia’s medical cannabis program calls a caregiver who is not the patient’s parent or legal guardian a registered agent. A registered agent may buy or receive medical cannabis on behalf of any patient who needs help getting to a dispensary or receiving a delivery — not only minors and vulnerable adults. Registered agents:

• Are named on the patient’s written certification by the practitioner, at the patient’s request — if named there, no registration with the state is needed.
• Must register with the Cannabis Control Authority only if they were not named on the certification. The registration fee is $25, and the annual renewal fee is $25.
• May serve a maximum of two patients.

Tell your Leafwell practitioner during your visit if you want an agent added to your certification.

Can I use my Virginia medical card in other states?

Virginia does not offer medical marijuana reciprocity — licensed Virginia dispensaries cannot accept out-of-state cards. Whether your Virginia certification is useful elsewhere depends on the state, and in many places it no longer matters, because cannabis is legal for adults 21 and over regardless of any card. One Virginia-specific note: the state issues a written certification, not a registry card, so where a state’s rule says “registry identification card,” carry your CCA digital certification card and a photo ID together and call the dispensary ahead.

Where you do not need your certification at all:

Cannabis is legal for adults 21 and over in these states, so you can buy from a licensed adult-use store with a government photo ID.

• Arizona — adult use is legal. Your Virginia certification protects possession but does not let you buy medical cannabis here (see below).
• Delaware — adult use is legal, with retail sales open since August 2025. Dispensaries can also register you as a visiting medical patient on the spot.
• Maine — adult use is legal, and Maine does recognize Virginia patients: up to 2.5 ounces every 15 days with your certification and ID.
• Michigan — adult use is legal. Dispensaries may serve visiting medical patients at their own discretion.
• Nevada — adult use is legal, and Nevada recognizes out-of-state patients; medical purchases skip the 10% retail excise tax.
• New Jersey — adult use is legal. New Jersey does not offer reciprocity; buying as a medical patient requires a New Jersey practitioner and New Jersey’s registry.
• New Mexico — adult use is legal, and New Mexico recognizes out-of-state patients as “reciprocal participants”; medical purchases are tax-free.
• Rhode Island — adult use is legal. Out-of-state patients are recognized if the photo ID and the medical credential come from the same state and you complete an intake form.
• Washington, D.C. — anyone 21 or over can self-certify at a licensed D.C. dispensary; D.C. also names Virginia on its medical reciprocity list.

Medical-only states where your Virginia certification matters

• Arkansas — visiting patient registration: $50, valid 90 days; allow about two weeks. Apply before you travel.
• Hawaii — out-of-state patient registration (Form 329): $49.50, valid 60 days, renewable once per calendar year. Apply before you travel.
• Louisiana — accepted directly; the pharmacy will have you complete its own attestation form at the counter.
• New Hampshire — accepted directly; you may purchase. No application needed.
• Oklahoma — temporary patient license: $100 plus a processing fee, valid 30 days; allow about two weeks. Apply before you travel.
• Puerto Rico — accepted directly. No application needed.
• Utah — Utah issues its own non-resident card, valid 21 days and limited to two per calendar year, and your condition must appear on Utah’s list, which is narrower than Virginia’s any-diagnosed-condition rule.

States that protect possession but will not sell to you

• Arizona — a defense against arrest for possession, but visiting patients cannot purchase medical cannabis. Buy from an adult-use store if you are 21 or over.
• South Dakota — possession of up to three ounces is protected. You cannot purchase; there is no adult-use market.

Cannabis remains illegal to transport under federal law, so do not carry it across state lines, through airports, or onto federal land — including national parks — even between two states that both recognize your certification.

Nearby: Maryland · Washington, D.C. · West Virginia · North Carolina.

Last verified 25 September 2026 against each state’s health department or cannabis regulator (Maine re-checked for Virginia patients specifically). Laws change; check the destination state before you travel.

Minor patient information

Leafwell providers are able to certify minor patients.

Parents/legal guardians of minors and vulnerable adults must be listed on the patient’s certification, and may pick up medical cannabis on the patient’s behalf. They do not need to register with the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.

A second parent or legal guardian can be added to the certification as a registered agent by the practitioner, or afterwards through the CCA Portal ($25).