The Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee approved legislation today that would legalize licensed marijuana sales.
Sponsored by State Senators Aaron Rouse (D), Jennifer Carroll Foy (D), and Lashrecse Aird (D), Senate Bill 970 would establish a retail marijuana market in Virginia, which remains the only one of the 24 states with legal marijuana to prohibit retail sales. The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee approved the measure by a vote of 10 to 5.
The bill proposes a regulatory framework to be administered by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. Under the legislation, the authority could begin issuing licenses for marijuana-related businesses starting September 1, 2025, with sales beginning by May 1, 2026.
Key provisions of the bill include more than doubling the legal possession limit for individuals 21 and older from one ounce to 2.5 ounces and creating a licensing system for cultivation, processing, testing, and retail sales.
Virginia legalized the possession of marijuana in 2021 for those 21 and older but has yet to establish a legal framework for sales. Advocates of Senate Bill 970 argue that its passage is critical to providing regulated access, addressing public safety concerns, and ensuring that Virginia no longer lags behind other states with legal marijuana markets.
The measure now advances to the full Senate for consideration. A House version of the bill was recently approved by the House General Laws Committee.
If approved by both the House and Senate, the legislation will be sent to Governor Glenn Youngkin (R), who opposes the bill and has threatened to veto it. The legislature can override a governor’s veto, but only with a 2/3rds supermajority.
