Virginia

Written certifications for medical cannabis may be issued by:

• Practitioners of medicine or osteopathy licensed by the Board of Medicine
• Physician assistants licensed by the Board of Medicine
• Advanced practice registered nurses jointly licensed by the Board of Medicine and the Board of Nursing

No. Annual registration is no longer required. However, to access the written certification form, practitioners must create an account to log in to the CCA Portal (or the legacy patient portal). 

Virginia’s medical cannabis program relies on practitioners’ professional judgment and clinical expertise to ensure appropriate patient care and controlled access to medical cannabis. To issue a written certification, a practitioner must determine that the patient has a condition or disease that may benefit from the use of cannabis products.

A practitioner’s authority to certify patients is based on their professional license. Patient assessments may be conducted via telemedicine, provided that patient care is delivered through real-time interactive audiovisual technology.

Practitioners use the Cannabis Control Authority Portal  (or the legacy patient portal) to issue written certifications for eligible patients. To use the portal, practitioners must create an account and enter professional information, which is verified against Virginia’s License Lookup system.

Patient assessments may be conducted via telemedicine, provided that patient care is delivered through real-time interactive audiovisual technology.

Once a certification is issued, the patient can access their digital written certification through their portal account. Practitioners may also provide the patient with an electronic or physical copy of the certification.

For a minor or vulnerable adult, the written certification must include parent or legal guardian information so that the parent or guardian can purchase medical cannabis on the patient’s behalf. If the patient, parent, or legal guardian wishes to designate a registered agent, the practitioner should include the registered agent’s information on the certification. A second parent or legal guardian may also be listed as the registered agent.

Information needed to complete a digital written certification includes the patient’s full legal name, date of birth, address, telephone number, email address, proof of Virginia residency, and, when applicable, the parent/legal guardian's or registered agent's (caregiver) identification information.

Patients must be recertified every year using the legacy patient portal

Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (Title III section 301) which became law on December 2, 2022, and the First Amendment (established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that doctors, and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options).

DOWNLOAD MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, MEDICAL CANNABIS & THE LAW 

*UPDATE: FEDERAL CANNABIS LAWS HAVE CHANGED AS OF APRIL 28, 2026: Learn more here.

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