New medical marijuana facility opens in Hampton; lawmakers weighing Va. retail sales

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Hampton Roads’ fourth medical marijuana dispensary is now open in Hampton.

The new Cannabist location from Columbia Care Inc. is at 2400 Cunningham Drive, Suite 600, near the Peninsula Town Center. The dispensary officially opened Monday, but will host a grand opening on Thursday, February 16.

It’s open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

It joins other Columbia Care dispensaries in Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and Portsmouth, the first to open in December 2020. The Williamsburg location just opened back in December.

“We chose this specific location in Hampton because of the growing patient population and the accessibility for the communities on the Peninsula as we strive to serve all of Tidewater,” wrote Jesse Channon, chief growth officer for Columbia Care.

Remember that Virginia lawmakers approved a bill legalizing marijuana possession in 2021, allowing people to have up to four marijuana plants and carry up to an ounce at a time, but retail sales weren’t expected to start until 2024. In the meantime the only people who could buy from these dispensaries are medical card owners.

The path toward recreational sales is still up in the air, but currently the General Assembly is considering a bill from Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Fairfax) that would not only created a framework for retail sales, but allow current medical dispensaries such as Columbia Care to sell to adults 21 and older without a medical card starting in July.

Even if that bill passes, is still unclear if Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin would sign it.

WRIC reported that House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) said before the 2023 session that Republicans were waiting on Youngkin’s guidance on creating a retail cannabis market, but as of last week Youngkin still hadn’t committed to that process. Youngkin’s said he’s focused on setting regulations on mostly unregulated hemp and delta-8 products.

WAVY will continue to track the future of marijuana sales in the commonwealth. Check back for updates out of Richmond.