Medical Cannabis: Here is how you can register to use it in Virginia

The laws governing Virginia’s soon-to-launch medical marijuana program are once again getting...
The laws governing Virginia’s soon-to-launch medical marijuana program are once again getting a little looser.(Pixabay)
Published: Aug. 9, 2020 at 5:40 PM EDT
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RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed legislation saying that no person may be arrested, prosecuted or denied any right or privilege for participating in the state’s medical cannabis program.

With approval on the expansion of the medical marijuana program in Virginia, there will be a total of five processor plants located around the Commonwealth.

To access medical cannabis in Virginia, patients have to register so here are some steps to help you out with the process.

Qualifying

In Virginia, you can qualify for treatment with any diagnosed condition, as long as your medical provider thinks you can benefit from it. If your provider recommends you to use medical cannabis, you can become registered.

What conditions can be treated?

Since you don’t have to have a qualifying condition in Virginia, talk to your provider about your symptoms to see if medical cannabis is right for you.

According to Virginia Medical Cannabis Coalition (VMCC), the conditions below are qualifying ailments in other states. Hopefully, this gives you an idea of what conditions might benefit from it.

Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease • ALS • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Lou Gehrig’s disease • Anxiety • Arnold-Chiari malformation • Arthritis • Autism • Cachexia (wasting syndrome) • Cancer • Causalgia • Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy • Chronic pain • Crohn’s disease • CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type II) • Cancer • Dystonia • Fibrous dysplasia • Fibromyalgia • Glaucoma • Hepatitis C • Hydrocephalus • Hydromyelia • Insomnia • Interstitial cystitis • Lupus • Migraines • Multiple sclerosis • Muscular dystrophy • Myasthenia gravis • Myoclonus • Nail-patella syndrome • Neurofibromatosis • Parkinson’s disease • Peripheral neuropathy • Post-concussion syndrome • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) • Reflex sympathetic dystrophy • Residual limb pain • Rheumatoid arthritis • Seizures (including those characteristic of epilepsy) • Severe or persistent muscle spasms • Severe Nausea • Sickle Cell Anemia • Sjogren’s syndrome • Spinal cord disease (including but not limited to arachnoiditis) • Spinal cord injury with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity • Spinocerebellar ataxia • Symptoms from AIDS/HIV • Syringomyelia • Tarlov cysts • Terminal illness with life expectancy of less than one year • Tourette syndrome • Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Finding a practitioner

Medical providers have to become registered to make the recommendations too, so not all practitioners can recommend the treatment. You can find out if your practitioner is registered in the state, HERE.

If your medical provider isn’t registered, VMCC says you can ask them if they will consider becoming registered to recommend the treatment or you can schedule an appointment with someone already on the list.

After you meet with a registered practitioner and they recommend you for treatment with a written certification, you can begin registering yourself.

How to register

After you get the written certification, you can then register with the Board of Pharmacy. The VMCC has a detailed guide on how to fill out the application.

Some things you need to know/gather for the process include:

  • $50 registration fee
  • The written certification from the practitioner
  • Proof of residency
  • Proof of identity
  • Proof of qualifying age

After you submit your application, it could take between 7-10 days for it to be processed. Once that is complete, a registration card will be mailed to you.

Where to get it

After the process is complete, you’ll meet with one of the Virginia Medical Cannabis Coalition processors so you can meet with a pharmacist and get products. VMCC says to monitor its website for updates on when facilities open around the state.

For more details on medical cannabis in Virginia, CLICK HERE.

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