Miami-based marijuana multistate operator Ayr Wellness Inc. was awarded the last of five medical cannabis licenses to be issued in Virginia.
The “pharmaceutical processor” license allows the vertically integrated company to cultivate and process cannabis and manufacture products to sell to qualified medical marijuana patients in Virginia.
The company must meet any conditional commitments within one year to obtain a full pharmaceutical processor permit from state regulators.
The license allows Ayr to operate in Health Service Area (HSA) I, which has a population of more than 1.5 million people in the northern part of the state and includes the Shenandoah Valley, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania and Stafford.
The HSA I region hasn’t had a licensed operator because the Virginia Board of Pharmacy rescinded the license that was awarded to Chicago-based PharmaCann Inc. after its 2019 merger with Los Angeles-based MedMen Enterprises failed.
“We’re proud to have earned the opportunity to serve patients in Virginia, particularly in a region of 1.5 million people that has lacked access to medical cannabis for some time,” Ayr President and CEO David Goubert said in a news release.
“This is an exciting moment for Ayr, reflective of our continued efforts toward building our business to generate sustainable forward-looking growth.”
Ayr, which plans to open a cultivation and processing facility in Clear Brook, Virginia, north of Winchester, will join The Cannabist Co., Green Thumb Industries, Jushi Holdings and Verano in the Virginia market.
Virginia lawmakers legalized adult-use marijuana in April 2021, but additional legislative work was needed to build out the framework for a functional recreational cannabis market.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who was elected in November 2021, repeatedly indicated that he would veto any legislation related to adult-use marijuana, grinding additional progress to a halt.
