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How to check a Virginia cannabis dispensary

In Virginia, the only legal cannabis stores right now are licensed medical dispensaries. Adult-use stores are not open yet: the CCA says retail sales begin July 1, 2027.3 Look the dispensary up on the CCA’s list before you buy. If it isn’t on the list, don’t buy there.

Checked against the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) on . Next review: .

CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.

1. Search the CCA’s dispensary list

The CCA lists all licensed cannabis dispensaries in Virginia, by region.1 Each one belongs to one of five licensed pharmaceutical processors. They are the only legal growers and dispensaries of medical cannabis in the state.2

  1. Go to the CCA’s list of licensed dispensaries .
  2. Find your region, then the store. The list shows each dispensary’s name, street address, phone number and website.1
  3. Check that the name and address match the store’s sign or website.

No adult-use stores yet

Non-medical sales of cannabis are illegal in Virginia until retail sales begin on July 1, 2027.3 Buying or selling adult-use cannabis is illegal, and so are pop-up shops and stores selling cannabis without a license.4 A shop that sells you cannabis without a medical certification is not a legal store.

2. What you need to buy at a dispensary

  • A written certification. A qualified practitioner must decide you have a condition that may benefit from cannabis. Bring a printed or digital copy. The dispensary scans its QR code.6 You do not need a separate card or registration.3
  • A government-issued photo ID. If your ID doesn’t show Virginia residency, bring proof such as a utility bill or lease.6
  • Virginia residency. Dispensaries may sell only to Virginia residents or people temporarily living in Virginia.7 They cannot accept medical cards from other states.3

At the store: a licensed pharmacist must oversee dispensing, and the permit must be on display.5 Delivery: dispensaries may deliver to a patient’s home or business and must check a photo ID.7

3. Check the label and keep the package

Licensed products show Virginia’s universal symbol on every container. The label lists the processor, the product name, a serial number that links to the batch, an expiration date, the THC and CBD amounts and lab test ratings.8 The pharmacy label adds your name, your practitioner’s name and the dispensary’s address and phone.9

Keep the package. The serial number is how a product can be traced if there is a warning or recall.8

Hemp and CBD shops are different

A hemp or CBD shop is not a cannabis dispensary. Since August 15, 2026, a hemp product sold in Virginia may not have more than 0.3% total THC or more than 2 mg of total THC per package.11 Each store selling hemp edibles or vapes must be registered, and products with THC must come in child-resistant packages with a lab certificate of analysis.10 A product over the THC limit may be treated as marijuana.11

If something doesn’t look right

To report suspected illegal cannabis sales, use the CCA’s online tip form or call 1-844-WEED-TIP . You can stay anonymous.1312 For a complaint about a licensed dispensary, the CCA asks you to email enforcement@cca.virginia.gov.3

Report a tip to the CCA · How to report a problem

Official source

Virginia’s cannabis regulator: Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA)

These links go to the regulator’s own website. CHSA does not copy or host license records, so you always see the official, current version.

Sources

  1. Dispensary Locations Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) · Retrieved
  2. Pharmaceutical Processors Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) · Retrieved
  3. Frequently Asked Questions Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) · Retrieved
  4. Laws & Regulations: what's legal and what's illegal Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) · Retrieved
  5. Va. Code § 4.1-1602: Permit to operate pharmaceutical processor or cannabis dispensing facility Virginia General Assembly (Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System) · Retrieved
  6. Patients & Caregivers Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) · Retrieved
  7. Va. Code § 4.1-1603: Dispensing cannabis products; report Virginia General Assembly (Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System) · Retrieved
  8. 3VAC10-70-20: Labeling of cannabis products Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System) · Retrieved
  9. 3VAC10-70-45: Dispensing label requirements Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System) · Retrieved
  10. Va. Code Title 3.2, Ch. 41.1, Art. 4: Regulated hemp products (§§ 3.2-4122 to 3.2-4126) Virginia General Assembly (Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System) · Retrieved
  11. Hemp Information Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) · Retrieved
  12. Virginia's New Marijuana and Hemp Laws: What You Need to Know Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) · Published · Retrieved
  13. Report a Tip Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) · Retrieved

Back to Virginia rules

CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.