“Virginia’s recovery system will only be stronger when it stops forcing people to choose between their medicine and a roof over their head.”
By Jeremy Tillem, GreenhouseRVA
Virginia’s new recovery residence certification law has now been in effect for three weeks. In that short time, the practical reality has become clear: legal medical cannabis patients in recovery housing are still being forced to choose between their medicine and their housing, and state agencies have yet to offer a workable path forward.
At GreenhouseRVA, we have operated a structured recovery residence in Henrico County since 2021. We serve roughly 25 residents at a time, many referred by courts, probation officers, and treatment providers. Our model has always included clear safeguards around medical cannabis use—quantity limits, secure storage, monitoring and zero tolerance for diversion. Those policies were reviewed for months without objection when we first applied for certification.
Then Senate Bill 270 took effect on July 1. The law requires certified recovery residences to prohibit all cannabis use, including doctor-recommended medical cannabis that the federal government has now placed in Schedule III. Overnight, the rules changed under our feet. After careful consideration, we chose not to strip the medical cannabis language from
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