Legislators and Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced today that they have agreed to advance legislation regulating the retail sale of cannabis products to those age 21 and older. The language is included in a budget bill which lawmakers will be debating in a special session next week.
Under the plan, retail sales will begin on July 1, 2027.
The announcement of a compromise comes weeks after Gov. Spanberger vetoed a previous, stand-alone version of the retail bill. That veto elicited pushback from Democratic lawmakers and voters, some 60 percent of whom support permitting retail marijuana sales statewide.
“Virginia voters for years have made it clear that they want a regulated retail cannabis market, and we are pleased to see the administration and patrons come together to navigate a path forward,” said NORML’s Development Director JM Pedini, who also serves as the Executive Director of Virginia NORML. “This compromise represents a meaningful step toward bringing Virginia’s cannabis laws in line with public opinion and moving the Commonwealth closer to a marketplace that consumers have long demanded.”
Pedini added: “Although NORML has deep concerns about provisions in the bill to increase the civil penalty for public cannabis consumption, we are encouraged by other areas of broader agreement. This bill establishes a consumer-friendly regulated marketplace, improves public safety, and provides clear rules for everyone involved. Today’s announcement is an important milestone, and we look forward to continuing the work of building a marketplace that meets consumer demand while prioritizing safety, accountability, and access.”
Speaking at today’s press conference, the Governor said: “This is what good governing and collaboration looks like — bringing people together, listening carefully and focusing on solutions that are practical, enforceable and in the best interest of Virginians. In the end, we all wanted to deliver a marketplace that the commonwealth could implement effectively for the long-term. We have always had this same end goal — an end goal that has been years in the making — so I am proud to stand alongside these dedicated legislators and to be working alongside alongside them to deliver a marketplace built to last.”
Virginia lawmakers enacted legislation in 2021 legalizing the use, possession, and personal cultivation of marijuana by adults. That legislation called upon politicians to approve retail sales in a subsequent 2022 vote. However, when Republicans gained control of the House and the governorship in 2022, they failed to advance legislation to do so.
After Democrats regained the House, their 2024 and 2025 legislative efforts to regulate retail sales were vetoed by former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Virginia is the only legal adult-use state that does not currently regulate the retail sale of cannabis products.