BRISTOL - Virginia’s first medical cannabis dispensary has officially opened to patients.

Dharma Pharmaceuticals held a grand opening last Saturday morning in Bristol in Southwest Virginia. It’s one of five pharmaceutical dispensaries approved in the state to produce medical marijuana.

Lisa Smith and her daughter, Haley, made the trek to Bristol from Richmond earlier last week to receive the company’s first fill of medical cannabis oil, WJHL-TV reported.

Ms. Smith, whose daughter has a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome, lobbied at the General Assembly for a change in the state’s medical marijuana laws.

“It’s kind of surreal that it’s happening,” Ms. Smith said.

In order to enter the building, patients must first get a recommendation from a medical provider and register as a patient with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy.

“We’re excited to finally be serving patients at our facility,” Jack Page, co-founder and chief operating officer of Dharma Pharmaceuticals, stated in a news release.

The dispensary is inside the old Bristol Mall.

The company plans to expand to other locations soon, according to media reports.

A dispensary in Richmond hopes to open its doors by late October.

According to the Marijuana Police Project, a pro-legalization group, 34 states have legalized medical marijuana to varying degrees. Eleven of those states and the District of Columbia also have legalized non-medical, or recreational, use of marijuana for adults. And nearly all the states have systems in place for taxing and selling marijuana, according to the group.

In 2018, the state Board of Pharmacy granted licenses to five companies to legally dispense medical marijuana, one for each health service area in the state.