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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — As lawmakers meet in Richmond, city leaders in Virginia Beach are preparing for the possible legalization of a recreational marijuana market. Members of the city’s Cannabis Advisory Task Force presented 17 recommendations for this possibility.
Task members stated that a recreational marijuana market is not just possible, but looks imminent.
“Assuming the bill is finalized and approved by the legislature and the governor signs, adult use could go into effect by 2026,” said Andrew Lock, the former chair of the task force. “That’s only nine months from today.”
It’s been an ongoing conversation for years, but with Democrats in control of both the House and Senate, and a governor-elect ready to sign, city council members said they want to be prepared for anything. Among the 17 recommendations, several included suggestions for zoning laws, establishing a tax rate, and even floated the idea of a public referendum for allowing shops in the first place.
Councilman Michael Berlucchi, representing District 3, told 13News Now that while the city council has not made any formal decisions, they want to consider all logistics before the recreational sale of marijuana is legalized.
“The task force is not to influence what happens in Richmond, so much as it is a pro and con list of the reality we are facing,” said Berlucchi. “We want Virginia Beach to be in the best possible position to mitigate any downsides.”
Under current state law, Virginians may own up to four houseplants of marijuana, carry up to an ounce of it in some spaces, and can purchase it at a medical dispensary with a prescription.
Jamie Patten, with the state’s Cannabis Control Authority, said it’s led to a lot of confusion about what is legal and what is not.
“We get calls all the time about this,” said Patten. “They don’t understand the difference between the medical market and a retail market; there are a lot of people who don’t understand that a lot of product outside of a medical market is not regulated.”
Berlucchi said it’s too early to decide on any of the recommendations until the matter is settled by lawmakers in Richmond. However, if passed, Berlucchi said the city council will require a multitude of public opinions for how they should proceed.