Spanberger explains retail cannabis veto, stakeholders respond
The veto leaves Virginia without a regulated adult-use market after lawmakers approved a bill that would have set up sales and dispensaries.
- On Tuesday, Governor Abigail Spanberger vetoed bipartisan retail marijuana legislation, delaying legal cannabis sales in Virginia until at least 2027.
- The General Assembly rejected the Governor's proposed amendments to push sales to July 2027 and increase consumption penalties, prompting her to veto the original bills unchanged.
- JM Pedini of Virginia NORML called the veto a "profound disappointment," while Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, praised it as a historic win against corporate interests.
- Unlicensed illicit market activity continues throughout the Commonwealth, as adults remain limited to possessing one ounce of marijuana and growing four plants at home.
- These state-level developments occur amid federal shifts: the Justice Department recently reclassified marijuana products as Schedule III narcotics under the Controlled Substances Act, loosening medical-use restrictions.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Virginia Gov. Vetoes “Rushed” Launch of Retail Cannabis Market
Virginia’s governor is seeking to explain why she vetoed legislation to legalize adult-use marijuana sales in the state—saying she supports the overall reform but took issue with some of the details in the proposal that lawmakers sent her, including what she called a “rushed timeline” to launch the legal cannabis market and “far more stores across Virginia” than she thinks are appropriate. “I continue to support the creation of a retail marijuan…
Virginia Governor Explains Marijuana Veto, Saying She Worried About 'Rushed Timeline' And Too Many Dispensaries
Virginia’s governor is seeking to explain why she vetoed legislation to legalize recreational marijuana sales in the state this week—saying she supports the overall reform but took issue with some of the details in the proposal that lawmakers sent her, including what she called a “rushed timeline” to launch the legal cannabis market and “far more stores across Virginia” than she thinks are appropriate. “I continue to support the creation of a re…
Virginia Governor vetoes marijuana retail bills
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday vetoed a pair of bills that would have created a legal marijuana retail marketplace in the state, saying the proposed legislation wasn’t ready to be put into practice. Virginia became the first southern state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2021, but the legislature deliberately separated possession from retail sales, leaving the commercial market to be established later. Under current state …
Spanberger showed bravado in vetoing Democratic bills. What if some return to her in the budget?
by May 20, Gov. Abigail Spanberger had vetoed nearly two dozen bills, including one that reflected top Democratic priorities like a retail cannabis market and prescription affordability board. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)I’ll give her this: Gov. Abigail Spanberger knows how to throw down — this time, not uncharacteristically, with some of her Democratic teammates. The rookie governor has vetoed two fistfuls of bills enacted b…
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