In a historical bipartisan vote this week, the Virginia Senate has approved Senate Bill 391 to regulate the retail sale of cannabis to adults 21 and older.
Sales in the state could begin as early as September 15, 2022, at existing medical dispensaries.
Senate Bill 391 also provides for the licensing of additional cultivation, manufacturing, retail, and wholesale businesses via the recently established Cannabis Control Authority.
“We’re pleased that there is bipartisan support for expediting retail access,” said JM Pedini, NORML’s Development Director and the Executive Director of Virginia NORML.
Pedini however added, “this legislation still faces an uphill battle in the Republican-led House of Delegates. Multiple cannabis bills filed in the House failed to receive a single hearing. It is ultimately incumbent upon Speaker Gilbert to ensure SB 391 is heard in the chamber.”
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently acknowledged he wouldn’t look to overturn legalization, but that he thinks “there is a lot of work to do.”
Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert (R) has publicly criticized the state’s adult-use law and has promised to “fix” it.
“The overriding top-tier concern is that we have to have a regulatory structure in place for retail sales that does not encourage the black market,” said Garren Shipley, a spokesperson for Speaker Gilbert.
Additional bills to improve the medical cannabis program and eliminate patient registration succeeded in both the Senate and House of Delegates this week as well.
