Virginia General Assembly advances retail cannabis framework – WDBJ7
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Virginia could see sales of marijuana by the end of the year. Legislation to create a legal, adult-use cannabis market in Virginia passed both chambers Tuesday in the General Assembly.
The version passed by the House would allow the sale of recreational marijuana to begin November, while the Senate’s bill would call for retail sales to begin January 1, 2027.
The bills also have different tax rates for retail marijuana sales, but neither includes an option for localities to hold a referendum to opt out of retail sales.
A maximum of 350 retail licenses would be issued statewide.
“There’s a priority among some lawmakers to enact retail sales sooner rather than later, and transition consumers away from the illicit market to one that is regulated for product and consumer safety,” said National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Development Director JM Pedini.
Right now, it’s illegal for people 21 and older to buy cannabis, unless they qualify for medical use.
Proposals for a legal retail marketplace made it through the General Assembly in recent years, but were repeatedly vetoed by former Governor Glenn Youngkin. However, Governor Abigail Spanberger is expected to sign the bill into law.
WDBJ spoke with Spanberger in December 2025 about a regulated retail market.
“What I think is important is that a consumer should always know what they are buying. And so that means strong labeling, which means understanding the strength. You know, just if you think about it, if you go and you buy a pack of beer, you know what percentage alcohol that beer is. So it needs to be well-regulated, well-labeled, and the revenue. It is incredibly important to me that new revenue stream, in addition to going towards regulation, be invested in education,” said Gov. Spanberger.
The bills will need to be passed by the opposite chamber before they can be considered by Governor Spanberger.
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