Everything You Need to Know About Cannabis in Regard to its Authenticity and Prevalence

2022 Legislative Changes

The 2022 General Assembly session resulted in several changes to the pharmaceutical processor program. Of most interest to registered practitioners for medical cannabis are changes made as a result of HB933. You may find information on the bill here: https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/.

Medical Cannabis Patient Registration

Effective July 1, 2022, HB933 removes the requirement for patients, parents, and legal guardians to register with the Board of Pharmacy. A Written Certification for the Use of Medical Cannabis from a Registered Practitioner for Medical Cannabis is still required and must be presented at the dispensary, along with a government-issued ID, to obtain medical cannabis products. Showing proof of registration with the Board of Pharmacy will no longer be required.

While the law will no longer require a patient, parent, or legal guardian to obtain registration from the Board as of July 1, 2022, an optional registration card for medical cannabis may be obtained for $50. To obtain the optional card, the patient, parent or legal guardian must submit the online application, $50 application fee, copy of the Written Certification for the Use of Medical Cannabis and proof of age, identity and residency to the Board. The patient, parent or legal guardian should allow approximately 60 business days for processing a complete application. Applications submitted with incomplete information cannot be processed. Once the registration is issued, a physical medical cannabis registration card will be mailed to the patient, parent or legal guardian’s address of record on the application.

Minimum CBD/THC-A Limits

As of July 1, 2022, the requirement for cannabis oil products to contain a minimum of 5mg per dose of cannabidiol (CBD) or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THC-A) is removed. These products cannot exceed 10mg per dose of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Pharmaceutical Processors and Cannabis Dispensing Facilities

Currently, there are 4 permitted pharmaceutical processors from which patients may obtain medical cannabis products. All four processor dispensaries are open for dispensing medical cannabis products to registered patients. These pharmaceutical processors are: Dharma Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Abingdon; Columbia Care Eastern Virginia, LLC, Portsmouth, Dalitso, LLC, Manassas and Green Leaf Medical of Virginia, Inc., Richmond. In addition, there are currently 6 cannabis dispensing facilities open which are located in: Sterling, Virginia Beach, Glen Allen, Christiansburg, Lynchburg and Salem.

Revised Written Certification Form

A revised written certification form will be sent to all registered practitioners in a separate email. Practitioners must begin using the revised form to issue Written Certifications as of July 1, 2022. All previous versions of the Written Certification form are now outdated and should no longer be used to issue written certifications. Written Certifications issued prior to 7/1/2022 on the previous form will remain valid until its assigned expiration date or otherwise discontinued.

Issuing a written certification using an outdated form is non-compliant and may lead to disciplinary action. The Board will exercise enforcement discretion during the month of July while practitioners incorporate this new form into their daily practice. Enforcement will begin as of August 1, 2022. Patients presenting a written certification on an outdated form that was issued on August 1, 2022 or later will not be able to obtain medical cannabis until a Written Certification is issued using the current form.

To ensure you are utilizing the correct form as of July 1, 2022, the form has the Seal of Virginia at the top and the date of 7/2022 in the lower-left corner. Additionally, the form must be completed in its entirety, may not be altered in any way, must include the full legal name of the patient (i.e., Robert, not Bob), and must reflect a Virginia residence for the patient (permanent or temporary but must not be a state other than Virginia). Two new fields have been added to the form for your Registered Practitioner for Medical Cannabis license number and the driver’s license or state ID number for the patient. These fields must be completed by you or your designated staff. Additionally, please note that written certifications should not be post-dated. The form should be dated using the same date it was signed and issued.

Questions may be directed to cbd@dhp.virginia.gov or (804) 367-4456.