City's First Medical Cannabis Dispensary Coming To Fairfax Boulevard

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Multi-state cannabis operator Jushi will be opening Beyond/Hello, the City of Fairfax's first licensed medical cannabis dispensary sometime in August.

Jushi already operates dispensaries in Manassas and Sterling and will be opening an Alexandria location in the next two weeks. The company also plans to add an Arlington store by the end of the year.

The Beyond/Hello store in Fairfax City is currently being installed at the former CVS Pharmacy building at the corner of Chain Bridge Road and Fairfax Boulevard. Brendon Lynch, Jushi's executive vice of retail operations, said this location was chosen because it offered ease of access for its customers.

"We've been able to serve a lot of patients driving from pretty long distances," he said. "One of the exciting parts of opening additional locations is not only to just broaden the access for the medical cannabis patients in Northern Virginia but also to reduce that drive time for folks that are driving a really long time in some cases three hours for their product or their medicine."

With its Alexandria and Fairfax locations, Jushi is updating the design of its stores in order to create a more modern and relaxed environment for its customers.

"We're moving away from a lot of cannabis dispensaries that have a much more medical feeling to them," Lynch said. "We really wanted to make this feel far more comfortable and accessible."

Currently, the sale of recreational cannabis is prohibited in Virginia. Beyond/Hello is only authorized to sell medical cannabis to customers who are 21 or older and have a valid written certification from a Board of Pharmacy-registered practitioner. Customers must also provide a valid state-issued identification when making a purchase. Medical cannabis may also be dispensed to a minor patient, as long as the patient's practitioner fills out a form authorizing that they are intending to treat the patient with botanical cannabis.

As of July 1, customers no longer need to apply to the Board of Pharmacy to obtain a medical cannabis card, which was often a months-long process, according to Lynch.

When it opens, the Fairfax location will offer 16 points of sale on the sales floor and an additional 10 points of sale set up for express service. Customers will be able to order online for in-store pickup. The dispensary will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday.