Medical cannabis dispensary serving Northern Virginia opens this week in Manassas

Northern Virginia’s cannabis dispensary is at 8100 Albertstone Circle, Manassas. [Beyond/Hello]

Beyond/Hello, the medical marijuana dispensary approved by
the commonwealth of Virginia to serve Northern Virginia will open on Tuesday, Dec. 1,
in Manassas.

Members
of the public must first get official authorization before they can purchase
medical cannabis, and Beyond/Hello requires online appointments.

The
first step is getting a written certification from a health practitioner
registered by the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. There are many registered practitioners in Northern Virginia, including physicians, psychiatrists, and
nurse practitioners.

A
parent or legal guardian may obtain a written certification for a minor or a
patient who is incapacitated.

Practitioners
don’t issue prescriptions for cannabis; instead, they can recommend medical
cannabis for any diagnosed condition for which it might be helpful. That could
be anything from chronic pain to cancer, anxiety to autism.

After
receiving a certification, a patient must register with the Virginia Board of
Pharmacy, by sending the board a copy of the certification and a copy of a
Virginia driver’s license or other valid ID. The initial registration fee is
$50 and there’s an annual $50 fee.

Related story: Virginia governor supports marijuana legalization

The
board will mail the patient a Virginia Medical Cannabis ID Card. Only
then, can a customer make an appointment with a Hello/Beyond pharmacist.
Patients must bring the certification form from a healthcare provider, medical
cannabis ID card, and a valid photo ID to the store.

Allowable
products in Virginia include capsules, sprays, tinctures, oils, creams, gels, lozenges,
lollipops, and inhalation products. Products can contain up to 10 mg THC per
dose. Purchases are limited to a 90-day supply. 

In
2017, the Virginia Board of Pharmacy authorized five vertically integrated
cannabis providers across the state, one in each Health Service Area. Each
provider is responsible for growing, extracting, dispensing, and delivering the
product.

Beyond/Hello is the trade name for Dalitso LLC, which was
awarded the contract in Virginia. Dalitso is majority-owned by Jushi
Holdings, which operates cannabis businesses in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and
California.  

Beyond/Hello is the second cannabis dispensary in Virginia.
Dharma Pharmaceuticals opened in Bristol in October. A shop in Richmond, called
gLeaf, is opening soon, as is Columbia Care in Portsmouth.