Talk with a Virginia-licensed practitioner over video about whether cannabis fits your care. If it does, your written certification is issued digitally the same day.
Health Service Area 1 — which includes Charlottesville, the Shenandoah Valley, and Fredericksburg — opened its first licensed medical dispensary in Winchester, and the operator is authorized to add five more locations across the region.
Virginia moved to digital certifications and no longer requires patients to register with the state.
Pick an opening with a Virginia-licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.
Talk through your symptoms, history, and what you've already tried. The practitioner makes the call.
Your certification lives in the CCA Portal. Dispensaries scan its QR code alongside your ID.
Most evaluations take around twenty minutes. Here's roughly how the time is spent.
Confirm your identity, Virginia residency, and age.
Symptoms, diagnoses, medications, and treatments you've tried.
Your practitioner decides whether cannabis may benefit you and for how long.
If approved, it appears in your CCA Portal account, valid for up to a year.
“As a grad student I didn't have hours to spare. The whole visit fit between classes.”
— Priya S., Charlottesville“She asked about my migraine history in real detail before deciding anything.”
— Tom W., Crozet“Having the certification right on my phone made the first dispensary trip easy.”
— Denise A., Albemarle CountyVirginia doesn't keep a list. A practitioner decides whether you have a condition or disease that may benefit from cannabis.
Virginia accepts temporary residents. If your ID shows an out-of-state address, a lease or utility bill can prove residency at the dispensary.
No. Registration is no longer required — the written certification and a government ID are enough.
Licensed MDs and DOs, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners jointly licensed by the Boards of Nursing and Medicine.
Retail sales can't begin until July 1, 2027, and only for adults 21+. Until then, certification is the only way to buy at a licensed dispensary.
The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority publishes them.
There isn't a licensed dispensary in Charlottesville yet. The region's first opened in Winchester in September 2026, with more authorized across Health Service Area 1. Until one opens closer, many local patients drive to a licensed location elsewhere in Virginia or look for delivery options.
Check the CCA's official dispensary list for current locations.
A roughly 20-mile loop of wooded trail circling the city along the Rivanna River and its creeks — walk as little or as much of it as feels right.
Founded in 1762 and named for Queen Charlotte, Charlottesville sits in the Piedmont at the foot of the Blue Ridge. It's home to the University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson, and his Monticello estate overlooks the city. The brick-paved Downtown Mall is one of the country's longest pedestrian malls. Residents follow the same statewide medical cannabis process as all Virginians.
Section 54.1-3408.3 of the Code of Virginia lets licensed physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners issue written certifications. The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority oversees the program and issues certifications through its CCA Portal.
Adult-use retail sales are set to start July 1, 2027. The medical program continues to serve patients before and after that date — follow the Cannabis Control Authority for updates.