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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>67911</law_id><section_number>18.2-251.1</section_number><catch_line>Possession or distribution of marijuana for medical purposes permitted</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="7">Crimes Involving Health and Safety</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Drugs</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> No person shall be prosecuted under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Possession of controlled substances unlawful" href="/18.2-250/">18.2-250</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Repealed" href="/18.2-250.1/">18.2-250.1</a> for the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol when that <span class="dictionary">possession</span> occurs pursuant to a valid prescription issued by a medical doctor in the course of his professional practice for treatment of cancer or glaucoma. <a id="paragraph-245993" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-251.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> No medical doctor shall be prosecuted under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance prohibited; penalties" href="/18.2-248/">18.2-248</a> or &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Penalties for sale, gift, distribution or possession with intent to sell, give or distribute marijuana" href="/18.2-248.1/">18.2-248.1</a> for dispensing or distributing marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol for medical purposes when such action occurs in the course of his professional practice for treatment of cancer or glaucoma. <a id="paragraph-245994" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-251.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> No pharmacist shall be prosecuted under &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance or an imitation controlled substance prohibited; penalties" href="/18.2-248/">18.2-248</a> to <a class="law" title="Penalties for sale, gift, distribution or possession with intent to sell, give or distribute marijuana" href="/18.2-248.1/">18.2-248.1</a> for dispensing or distributing marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol to any person who holds a valid prescription of a medical doctor for such substance issued in the course of such doctor&#x2019;s professional practice for treatment of cancer or glaucoma. <a id="paragraph-245995" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-251.1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1979, c. 435.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
