The state of Virginia officially legalized recreational marijuana on April 20, 2021. This is great news, but as it currently stands it's still worth it to get your medical marijuana card. This is because, among other reasons, getting a Virginia medical marijuana card now provides employment protections not available to recreational users.
The Virginia legislature passed House Bill 1862, a bill to protect the employment rights of MMJ patients in the state. This means that employees in Virginia, with a few exceptions, no longer need fear retribution from their jobs if they'd like to try responsible use of cannabis as an alternative medical treatment.
Thankfully, the process of becoming a medical cannabis patient in Virginia is simple and straightforward. It only costs $149 to get your MMJ evaluation with NuggMD, and you can even see your doctor from the comfort of home!
If recreational marijuana is legal in Virginia, why get an MMJ card?
While recreational legalization technically occurred in April of 2021, the law does not take effect until July. Not only that, the legalization of recreational marijuana sales doesn't take effect until 2024. This means that recreational cannabis users' hands are tied when it comes to obtaining marijuana unless they want to grow their own. Adults are allowed to grow 4 plants per household.
Medical marijuana patients, on the other hand, can currently purchase medicinal cannabis at Virginia dispensaries, the first of which opened their doors in 2020. And flower will be available at Virginia marijuana dispensaries soon too!
How to get a Virginia MMJ recommendation via NuggMD
Obtaining an MMJ recommendation is easy in Virginia when using the NuggMD platform.
1. Visit NuggMD.com/Virginia and create your account
2. Enter your personal info (age, name, and address)
3. Provide as much of your medical history as possible
4. Choose a method of payment
5. Kick back for a few moments in the NuggMD virtual waiting room
6. As soon as the next NuggMD weed doctor is ready, they will connect with you and begin your MMJ evaluation
It's really that easy! Every one of the evaluating physicians on the NuggMD platform performs their MMJ evaluations using cutting-edge telemedicine software. NuggMD evaluations consist of one-on-one, real-time consultations between patients and their medical marijuana doctors. Every doctor on the NuggMD platform is fully licensed in the states for which they provide MMJ evaluations and has received all the required state certifications and registrations.
As soon as you've been approved, you'll receive an email that includes your MMJ recommendation with instructions on registering with the state of Virginia's medical marijuana program.
And, best yet: it will only cost $149 to meet with a weed doctor in Virginia using NuggMD, and those who don't qualify for the program receive their evaluation completely for free. So there's no risk!
What does HB 1862 provide in terms of employment protections?
HB 1862 provides employment protections for Virginia MMJ patients by preventing employers from firing their employees for cannabis use if they're legal MMJ patients and their use of medicinal cannabis is in compliance with Virginia law.
HB 1862 doesn't prevent an employer from taking disciplinary action against employees whose use of cannabis is impairing them during work hours. Employers also have the liberty to ban cannabis from the worksite and prohibit their employees from using it during work hours.
HB 1862 won't force employers to do anything that would violate federal law. Keep in mind that cannabis is still a federally scheduled drug and federal funding often requires firms to be compliant with all federal laws, including marijuana prohibition. Ultimately, this means that Federal employers in Virginia can still create drug-free workplaces and discipline employees for cannabis use. Some federal contractors are required by law to enforce drug-free workplaces and fire employees who don't pass a drug test. The bottom line is that you should check with your employer to see what policies apply to them before assuming that you'll be protected by the new law.
Growing your own? You'll still want that card
As stated above, recreational marijuana is legal starting in July, but receiving it as a gift or growing your own will be your only options until 2024. Virginia residents who want to grow their own will need to follow the guidelines:
- Be 21 or older
- Grow no more than 4 plants per household
- Cultivation is limited to the primary residence only
The cultivation of cannabis, however, takes a lot of time, effort, and skill to produce high-quality marijuana. Legally finding seeds and clones is also a challenge in Virginia.
Needless to say, home cultivation may not be the best option for medical cannabis users who need a steady supply. That's not to say it isn't worth it to grow your own if you can, it is! But crop failures are common, yields are variable and quality is even more so. It's just not a reliable source of cannabis if you're a patient and haven't cultivated before. So it's still worth it for most patients to have a medical marijuana card even if employment protections aren't a concern.
So what’s the holdup? Getting your MMJ evaluation is as easy as it gets with NuggMD. Qualifying patients no longer need to leave the comfort of their homes. Connect with a state-licensed weed doctor any time between 8AM to 10PM, every day of the week (and weekends too) and you'll see that it's still definitely worth it to have a medical marijuana card in Virginia.
About NuggMD
NuggMD is the nation's leading medical marijuana technology platform, serving patients in California, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia. They have connected over 700,000 patients with their new medical marijuana doctors face-to-face via their state-of-the-art telemedicine platform. They believe that every human being has the right to explore the benefits of medical cannabis and are fully committed to helping each patient explore all of their options in their journey to wellness. For further information, visit NuggMD.com/Virginia.
