Richmond, VA: Legislation providing for the state-licensed sale of marijuana products became law on Monday.
As per the new law, state-licensed retailers will begin selling cannabis products to those age 21 or older on July 1, 2027. Up to 350 retailers will be licensed to engage in marijuana sales. Retail products will be subject to a six percent sales tax. Tax revenue will be allocated to fund early childhood care and education programs, substance abuse treatment, and other public health programs.
Lawmakers included the language in the state’s budget appropriation bill, which legislators approved in a special legislative session last week. Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger had previously vetoed a prior, stand-alone version of the retail sales legislation.
Passage of the legislation comes five years after Virginia lawmakers initially legalized 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.
Additional information is available from Virginia NORML.