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Virginia regulators gave initial approval Tuesday to five companies planning to open the state’s first medical cannabis dispensaries, selecting a mix of established industry players and Virginia-based entrepreneurs.

After private discussions that lasted more than five hours, the Virginia Board of Pharmacy named the five winning applications out of a field of 51.

Within a year, the selected companies will open the state’s first authorized marijuana growing facilities, but the dispensaries will sell only non-psychoactive CBD and THC-A oils to registered patients who obtain paperwork from a doctor. The winning companies will now have to undergo background checks before the license awards are finalized later this year.

To ensure the oils are accessible to Virginia patients regardless of where they live, the pharmacy board approved one application for each of the state’s five health service areas.

Maryland-based Green Leaf Medical won the initial award for Health Service Area IV, which includes the Richmond region and parts of Southside Virginia.