Virginia Law

A. The application process for permits shall occur in the following three stages: submission of initial application, award of conditional approval, and grant of a pharmaceutical processor permit.

B. Submission of initial application.

1. A pharmaceutical processor permit applicant shall submit the required application fee and materials with the following information and documentation:

a. The name and address of the applicant and the applicant's owners;

b. The location within the health service area established by the State Board of Health that is to be operated under such permit;

c. Detailed information regarding the applicant's financial position indicating all assets, liabilities, income, and net worth to demonstrate the financial capacity of the applicant to build and operate a facility to cultivate cannabis plants intended only for the production and dispensing of cannabis products pursuant to §§ 4.1-1602 and 4.1-1603 of the Code of Virginia, which may include evidence of an escrow account, letter of credit, or performance surety bond;

d. Details regarding the applicant's plans for security to maintain adequate control against the diversion, theft, or loss of the cannabis plants and the cannabis products;

e. Documents sufficient to establish that the applicant is authorized to conduct business in Virginia and that all applicable state and local building, fire, and zoning requirements and local ordinances are met or will be met prior to issuance of a permit;

f. Information necessary for the board to conduct a criminal background check on the applicant;

g. Information about any previous or current involvement in the medical cannabis industry;

h. Whether the applicant has ever applied for a permit or registration related to medical cannabis in any state, and if so, the status of that application, permit, or registration, to include any disciplinary action taken by any state on the permit, the registration, or an associated license;

i. Any business and marketing plans related to the operation of the pharmaceutical processor or the sale of cannabis products;

j. Text and graphic materials showing the exterior appearance of the proposed pharmaceutical processor;

k. A blueprint of the proposed pharmaceutical processor that shall show and identify (i) the square footage of each area of the facility; (ii) the location of all safes or vaults used to store the cannabis plants and products; (iii) the location of all areas that may contain cannabis plants or cannabis products; (iv) the placement of walls, partitions, and counters; and (v) all areas of ingress and egress;

l. Documents related to any compassionate need program the pharmaceutical processor intends to offer;

m. Information about the applicant's expertise in agriculture and other production techniques required to produce cannabis products and to safely dispense such products; and

n. Such other documents and information required by the board to determine the applicant's suitability for permitting or to protect public health and safety.

2. In the event any information contained in the application or accompanying documents changes after being submitted to the board, the applicant shall immediately notify the board in writing and provide corrected information in a timely manner so as not to disrupt the permit selection process.

3. The board shall conduct criminal background checks on applicants and may verify information contained in each application and accompanying documentation in order to assess the applicant's ability to operate a pharmaceutical processor.

C. In the event the board determines that there are no qualified applicants to award conditional approval for a pharmaceutical processor permit in a health service area, the board may republish, in accordance with 3VAC10-30-100, a notice of open applications for pharmaceutical processor permits.

D. No person who has been convicted of a felony under the Code of Virginia or another jurisdiction within the last five years shall have a 5.0% or greater ownership, be employed by, or act as an agent of a pharmaceutical processor.