Apply for Your Virginia Medical Marijuana Card Online

Benefits of Having a Medical Card in Virginia

As of 2021, adult-use marijuana is legal in Virginia. However, since recreational cannabis sales in dispensaries won’t begin in Virginia until 2024, medical marijuana certification offers patients distinct benefits today.

Greater possession limits:

• Virginia medical marijuana card certifications or written referrals allow patients a 90-day supply of medical cannabis.
• The specified possession limit for whole-plant cannabis or flower (botanical cannabis) is up to four ounces per 30 days.
• Recreational users may only possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to four plants per household.

Lower taxes:

• Virginia medical patients pay a 5.30% sales tax on every marijuana purchase.
• On the other hand, the state levies a 21% excise tax on retail cannabis sales. Local governments can add 3% more for 26% to 29% tax on retail sales.

Eligibility Requirements

Any Virginia resident at least 18 can apply for an optional Virginia medical marijuana card. They must be a medical patient with a qualifying health condition diagnosed by a doctor. Alternatively, patients can utilize a written certification from a licensed Virginia physician and government ID to purchase medical cannabis in the state.

Can Minors Get a Medical Card in Virginia?

Minors can get medical marijuana in Virginia. Patients under 18 need a parent or guardian to apply as their caregiver. The registered practitioner’s written certification for the patient must list the parent or legal guardian.

Caregivers

The Virginia medical marijuana program refers to caregivers who are not the patient’s parent/guardian as agents. Caregivers must be at least 18 years old. An agent can enter licensed dispensaries in Virginia and assist minors and vulnerable adults with obtaining and using medical marijuana. Agents can:

• Only care for medical cannabis patients who have received a written physician recommendation in the past 12 months.
• Serve a maximum of two patients.
• Optional: Register with the Virginia Board even after July 1, 2022. The initial registration fee is $25, and the annual renewal fee is $25.

What You’ll Need to Apply

Patients must be Virginia residents to request a recommendation for a Virginia medical marijuana card. They must show ID proof and a written referral from a state-sanctioned physician.

Having medical files on hand for the physician evaluation often speeds up the process and ensures the doctor can provide an adequate and thorough assessment. Recommended documents to either pre-submit or bring to the physician evaluation include:

• Patient charts
• Current prescriptions
• Physical therapy records
• Medical test results
• Hospital records

Patients who choose to register with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy as a caregiver or for an optional Virginia medical marijuana card need the following documents to apply:

• Proof of patient’s residency, identity, and age.
• Proof of parent/guardian’s residency, identity, and age (if applying as a Parent/Guardian)
• Proof of caregiver’s residency, identity, and age (if applying as a Registered Agent)
• Written medical marijuana recommendation issued by a registered Virginia medical marijuana doctor.

Costs

Leafwell’s Virginia consultation and written referral fee cost $149 for new patients and renewals.

Patients who choose to apply for an optional Virginia medical marijuana call must pay $50 to the state. Legal guardians, parents, and registered caregivers must pay an additional $25.

Medical Marijuana Reciprocity

Virginia does not yet offer medical marijuana reciprocity. However, as of July 2021, adults in Virginia 21 and older can possess up to one ounce of recreational marijuana and grow up to four marijuana plants per household. The state plans to open retail dispensaries in 2024.

While Virginia does not offer reciprocity, many other states have either legalized the recreational use of marijuana or recognize out-of-state medical marijuana cards. These states include:

• Arizona
• Alaska ^
• Arkansas *
• California ^
• Colorado ^
• Connecticut ^
• Delaware ^
• Guam
• Hawaii *
• Illinois ^
• Maine
• Maryland ^ (as of July 2023)
• Michigan (qualifying state must also have reciprocity with Michigan)
• Missouri ^
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico * (recreational cannabis is legal in NM)
• Oklahoma *
• Oregon ^
• Pennsylvania (minors only)
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• U.S. Virgin Islands *
• Utah (max. 45 days, after which the patient must apply for a Utah MMJ card)
• Vermont ^
• Virginia ^
• Washington ^
• Washington D.C.

States marked with * require visitors to complete a visiting patient application for their stay.

States marked with ^ have adult use programs but do not accept out-of-state cards.

Where to Buy Medical Marijuana in VA

A growing number of medical marijuana dispensaries are either open or opening soon in Virginia. Here is a list of Virginia medical cannabis dispensaries.

To purchase MMJ at a Virginia dispensary, a medical patient must bring their driver’s license or state ID and either their Virginia medical marijuana card or a copy of their written MMJ recommendation from a state-certified practitioner. Only medical patients or designated caregivers are allowed to enter dispensaries.

Cultivation

Virginia residents 21 or older may grow up to four marijuana plants per household, only at primary places of residence. Individuals growing marijuana must ensure that plants are not visible from public areas, take adequate precautions to prevent unauthorized access to persons under 21, and mitigate the odor from the cultivation area.

Virginia marijuana growing regulations also require cultivators to tag each marijuana plant with the cultivator’s name, driver’s license, or identification number and note that the cultivated plant is being grown for personal use.

Home-grown marijuana may not be sold or distributed. Virginia marijuana growers may also not manufacture marijuana concentrate from home-cultivated marijuana.

Virginia Medical Marijuana Laws to Know

• As of July 1, 2022, medical cannabis patients, parents, or legal guardians are no longer required to register with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy to obtain a physical Virginia medical marijuana card to purchase cannabis at licensed dispensaries.
• Medical cannabis patients, parents, or legal guardians must still have a written medical marijuana certification from a state-licensed doctor, physician, or nurse practitioner to purchase medical marijuana.
• The specified possession limit for medical cannabis products is a 90-day supply. Such products may contain up to 10 mg of THC per single dose.
• The medical marijuana possession limit for botanical cannabis (flower) is up to four ounces per 30 days, while all other residents can only possess up to one ounce.
• Adult-use (recreational) marijuana is legal in Virginia as of 2021, yet recreational cannabis sales in dispensaries won’t begin until 2024.

Check out our Virginia law page for more in-depth coverage of the state’s medical marijuana laws and rules. And if you’re ready to apply for your Virginia MMJ card, schedule an appointment with Leafwell today.