RISE to open as first medical marijuana dispensary in Danville

DANVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) – Danvile’s first medical marijuana dispensary will soon be open to the public.

The new RISE Dispensary is the 83rd to open across the country.

“We’ve been delivering to the Danville area from our home base in either Bristol or Abingdon since we opened,” said Jack Page, Market Leader for Green Thumb Industries in Virginia. “We saw the demand here and are excited to come to the area and provide economic development to the region,”

The state-licensed dispensary will have different cannabis products for sale, such as THC oils, vapes, edibles, and marijuana in its dry form.

“We want to provide cannabis as medicine to the community and show them what cannabis can do. We have people that come off of opioids and benzos and things like that that aren’t a natural substance, and cannabis can really help with those conditions,” added Page.

Cannabis is said to help patients suffering from PTSD, seizures, insomnia, and anxiety.

“A lady called us the day after she came to see us and said she was backing her car out of her driveway and before she even realized it, she turned her head to watch the car back up instead of keeping her head forward and watching the backup camera. It was because her neck pain was gone. So, it’s stories like that that make our day and show what we’re doing is really helping people,” said Page.

To shop at the dispensary, all customers have to be at least 21 and show a government-issued ID and medical marijuana card.

All the marijuana at Rise Dispensary is grown and harvested from a facility in Abingdon, Virginia.

“It’s a completely indoor, controlled facility. We can dial in the temperature and humidity to make sure that we’re not creating an environment that mold would grow in and things like that. So, it is the safe alternative,” explained Page.

They plan to open to the public Wednesday, June 28. They will have a grand opening ceremony July 15.