Marijuana Groups Urge Virginia Governor Not To Veto Sales Legalization Bill, Even After Lawmakers Rejected Her Amendments
White House Raises Alarm About ‘High-Potency’ Marijuana And Its Marketing In New National Drug Strategy
Alcohol Industry Group Calls Out Congress For Failing To Address Hemp THC Product Ban In Farm Bill
New York Officials Are Now Accepting Applications For Marijuana Farmers’ Markets And Pop-Up Events
Bipartisan Senators React To Trump’s Marijuana Move, With A GOP Lawmaker Saying Her Friends Use It Medically
Medical Marijuana Can Be A ‘Profoundly Helpful Tool’ For Seniors Dealing With Pain And Other Maladies (Op-Ed)
There’s ‘Strong Public Demand’ For Bigger Marijuana Reform Than Trump’s Rescheduling Move, Federally Funded Study Shows
Chinese Researchers Reveal Ancient Use Of Cannabis As ‘Indispensable’ Crop That Was ‘Deeply Integrated’ Into Daily Life
Teen Marijuana Use Is Lower Now Than Before Legalization, Government Study From Minnesota Officials Shows
Medical Marijuana Helps People Stop Using Opioids, Sleeping Aids And Other Prescription Drugs, Study Shows
Politicians And Major Brands Celebrate Cannabis Culture On 4/20
Woody Harrelson And Bill Maher Complain That Marijuana Taxes Are Too High While Smoking Joints At The Dispensary They Own Together
WNBA Offers To End Marijuana Testing For Women’s Basketball Players As Part Of Reported Deal With Union
DEA Promotes Anti-Marijuana PSA Contest Inviting Students To Warn Peers About THC Dangers On 4/20
Largest Entertainment Arena In US Partners With Cannabis Businesses To Sell THC Drinks At Concerts And Live Events
Target Expands Involvement In Hemp THC Drinks Market With 72 New Licenses In Minnesota
Marijuana Sales Are Rising And Alcohol Is On The Decline As Consumer Preferences Evolve, Government Data In Canada Shows
Feds Deny Snoop Dogg Request To Trademark ‘Smoke Weed Everyday’ Because Marijuana Is Illegal And Song Lyric Is Too Popular
Marijuana Kiosks For Seniors Are Coming To Independent Living Communities Across Arizona
Montana Retailers Have Sold More Than $1 Billion Worth Of Recreational Marijuana Since Legalization Took Effect
White House voices concerns about cannabis’s health impact & marketing (Newsletter: May 5, 2026)
DEA clarifies synthetic cannabis component is illegal (Newsletter: May 4, 2026)
DOJ rethinks cannabis & gun prosecutions (Newsletter: May 1, 2026)
GOP lawmakers still trying to block cannabis rescheduling despite Trump (Newsletter: April 30, 2026)
Hemp amendments stall in Congress, for now (Newsletter: April 29, 2026)
Published
on
By
A coalition of marijuana reform advocacy organizations and businesses are calling on Virginia’s governor not to veto legislation to legalize recreational cannabis sales even after lawmakers rejected her proposed changes to the measure.
“Together, these bills address the real issues surrounding cannabis in the Commonwealth today: an already-existing, unregulated marijuana market operating openly across the state while consumers, communities, and law enforcement are left without the protections of a legal framework,” the groups wrote in a letter to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) on Monday.
“Let’s be clear: these bills do not create a marijuana market in Virginia. That market already exists,” the letter says. “What these bills do is replace today’s predatory and unaccountable illicit operators with a regulated marketplace, enforceable rules, oversight, product safeguards, age verification, and the strict consumer safety standards already in use for Virginia medical cannabis.”
The letter is signed by Virginia NORML, Marijuana Justice, Virginia Cannabis Association, Marijuana Policy Project and other groups.
It goes on to detail how the legislation lawmakers passed this year, and which the governor requested amendments to, was informed by extensive study by state bodies, including the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the Marijuana Legalization Work Group, the Cannabis Oversight Commission, the Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Retail Cannabis Market and the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.
“That matters because the bills before you reflect the lessons of that process,” the letter, which was also signed by Jushi, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Nolef Turns, Virginia Minority Cannabis Coalition and others, says. “They are not theoretical. They are solutions tailored to Virginia’s actual conditions. They respond to the widespread sale of unregulated intoxicating products, the lack of consumer protections, the absence of retail oversight, and the need for effective enforcement tools aimed at bad actors rather than responsible adults.”
“Virginia did its homework. Experts were consulted. Stakeholders were heard. Real problems were identified,” the groups wrote. “These bills deliver the real solutions Virginia demands. We respectfully urge you to allow the Commonwealth to move forward with a safer, smarter, and more accountable cannabis policy.”
Personal marijuana possession and home cultivation of marijuana has been legal in Virginia since 2021, but former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) twice vetoed bills to provide consumers with a way to legally purchase regulated adult-use cannabis.
The House of Delegates and Senate approved legislation this year from Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D) and Del. Paul Krizek (D) that would establish a legal and regulated marijuana for recreational marijuana sales.
Spanberger then suggested changes to the cannabis commerce legalization measure—including delaying the start date for sales by six months, increasing taxes and instituting new criminal penalties for cannabis consumers.
That drew strong pushback from reform supporters, including the lawmakers who sponsored the legislation, and both chambers ultimately declined last month to adopt the governor’s amendments.
The bills are now back with Spanberger in their original form, and she has until May 23 to either sign or veto legislation, or allow it to become law without her signature.
Spanberger, for her part, responded to criticism of her cannabis amendments from the bill sponsors and advocates by saying the suggested changes came after she spoke to the leaders of other states that have already implemented adult-use marijuana markets.
Here are the other key details of the cannabis bills—SB 542 and HB 642—as approved by lawmakers and with the governor’s suggested amendments:
Meanwhile, Spanberger also suggested significant amendments to separate legislation that would provide resentencing relief to people with prior marijuana convictions, but lawmakers rejected those changes.
Meanwhile, the governor signed several other reform bills this month—including measures to protect the parental rights of marijuana consumers and allow patients to access medical cannabis in hospitals.
Read the full marijuana letter to the governor below:
Tom Angell is the editor of Marijuana Moment. A 25-year veteran in the cannabis and drug law reform movement, he covers the policy, politics, science and culture of marijuana, psychedelics and other substances. He previously reported for Forbes, Marijuana.com and MassRoots, and was given the Hunter S. Thompson Media Award by NORML and has been named Journalist of the Year by Americans for Safe Access. As an activist, Tom founded the nonprofit Marijuana Majority and handled media relations, campaigns and lobbying for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
Add Marijuana Moment as a preferred source on Google.
All the cannabis news you need, all in one place. Copyright © 2017-2026 Marijuana Moment LLC ® and Tom Angell