Nevada County’s first brick-and-mortar cannabis dispensary, which was approved by the Nevada City Council this month, will only allow customers with doctors’ recommendations for medical cannabis to purchase products at its storefront.

According to Roger Hicks, a medical doctor in Grass Valley, patients can ask their primary care physicians for medical cannabis recommendations. But some doctors are cautious about writing recommendations, he said, in part because of marijuana’s classification as an illegal drug by the federal government.

Two Grass Valley healthcare facilities, CannaMetrix Healthcare and Highland Springs Wellness Center, specialize in writing medical cannabis recommendations to qualified patients.

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A first-time visit to either facility costs between $150 and $195 and recommendations are valid for six months to a year.

WHY MEDICAL IN 2018?

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Nevada City allows only one medical cannabis dispensary to operate and hasn’t opted to allow sales of recreational cannabis, despite California legalizing the sale and use of cannabis for anyone 21 years of age or older beginning in 2018.

Neither Grass Valley nor Nevada County have opted to allow medical or recreational cannabis dispensaries in their respective jurisdictions.

Nevada City’s approved medical cannabis dispensary, Elevation 2477′, plans to open its doors at 569 Searls Ave. early next year, according to Daniel Batchelor, the company’s chief executive officer.

According to Elevation’s business plan, the dispensary plans to offer a variety of resources to cannabis patients, including yoga classes and patient support groups. But, in order to take advantage of many of those services, patients will need a valid physician’s recommendation, Batchelor said.