Chesterfield fights to keep medical marijuana dispensary from opening

Chesterfield County is digging in its heels in a fight to keep a medical marijuana dispensary from opening in the county.

What’s happening: The county’s Board of Zoning Appeals rejected Green Leaf Medical’s request that it reconsider the denial of a building permit for a new store, per Richmond BizSense.

The county argues that because marijuana is still illegal federally, it can’t approve a zoning request for the project — a legal interpretation that, with similar shops opening in localities around the state, appears to be unique to Chesterfield.

• Green Leaf has not said whether it will appeal the latest rejection in court, BizSense reports.

Context: The state licensed Green Leaf to open a manufacturing facility in south Richmond and five satellite retail locations — one of which already opened in Henrico County.

Split screen: Meanwhile in Richmond, Green Leaf opened a second location this week in Carytown, the city’s premier shopping district, with zero public debate or controversy.

• The new Carytown store is in the space formerly occupied by Need Supply Co.
• It opened under the brand name “Cannabist,” which is owned by Green Leaf’s parent company, Columbia Care, and has locations around the country.