When considering using cannabis in the Commonwealth, you might be weighing your options between getting your Virginia medical marijuana card and going the retail route. Which is easier, you might be asking yourself, in terms of access and availability? While there are pros and cons of going either way, overall medical marijuana may prove a great and accessible route now and in the years to come!
Access and Availability: An Overview
From one perspective, you might argue that access and availability is easier with retail, given that retail sales likely will not involve an application process. The truth is, however, that the application process for getting a medical card is quite easy! While there were some time delays in the medical marijuana application process early on, the system is now streamlined and fans of medical marijuana are getting their cards quickly.
There are also two key factors you need to take into consideration regarding access and availability: quality and curation.
Quality: Medical Marijuana vs. Recreational
Especially in the Commonwealth, the quality of marijuana will be much better in the medical space than in retail. This is because of the extensive Quality Control regulations that oversee the creation of medical marijuana products. Virginia has strict guidelines overseeing the producers that create the medical marijuana products that you can find in each region’s dispensaries.
Safety in Access and Availability
This quality also translates into something else very important: safety. All this QC not only creates high-quality products but also products that are the safest options for consumption. With few or no protocols in the eventual retail space, cannabis users may find themselves playing a guessing game when it comes to this critical issue. While marijuana in general is a very safe product, buying medical marijuana ensures that you get access to a vetted product that has gone through a QC process and will not have unsafe additives.
Price as a Barrier to Access
Prices for medical marijuana will go down as the market stabilizes and as more Virginians sign up for medical marijuana cards. No matter the price paid for medical marijuana, cannabis users in Virginia can be sure they have access to a high-quality, safe product that delivers real and actionable results for a range of medical conditions!
Will Retail Happen, and When?
Finally, there is the one big barrier to retail access and availability that is hanging fire over ever Virginian— when will retail happen, if at all. Republicans in the state legislature are already drafting legislation to amend key details related to retail marijuana , and there is still much discussion about when and how retail will start in Virginia. Governor Youngkin has expressed frustration with how retail is currently mapped out for its launch in 2024. Retail could start now, it could start later, and it could never happen at all!
Enjoy the Therapeutic Benefits of Medical Marijuana Today With Your VA Marijuana Card and Don't Play the Retail Waiting Game!
For now, retail is a waiting game, but medical marijuana is ready and waiting! Medical marijuana gives you access to a high-grade of product with multiple therapeutic applications.
Schedule an appointment with an online VA medical marijuana doctor today to start gaining access to safe and legal cannabis products, including tinctures, flower, concentrates and more!
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At Virginia Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness
safely and conveniently through increased access to MMJ. Our focus on
education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by
providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (888) 633-5808, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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