Things are growing — literally — at Hampton Roads’ first medical marijuana dispensary

From the outside, it looks like any other light industrial complex, but inside, the aroma speaks for itself.

Workers are busy preparing plants for the opening of Hampton Roads’ first medical marijuana dispensary. Don’t bother buying rolling paper or a pipe. Columbia Care dispensary pharmacist, Ray Hernandez, says anything made in the facility must originate with the plant’s oils.

“Virginia is an oil market — that means all products are derived from the oil of the plants. That’s going to put us in a place where we have tincture varieties, concentrates, tablets, vapes, and some topical applications as well,” said Hernandez.

The state’s first of four medical cannabis facilities opened in Bristol, Virginia, last weekend, and a second is due to open in Richmond in October. The Portsmouth facility on Seaboard Court will miss Black Friday and probably all of the busy shopping season.

“We could be looking at January but right now we are targeting the end of 2020,” said Hernandez.

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