Voting in Virginia’s 2025 election has begun! The outcome of the governor’s race and House of Delegates races will likely determine whether Virginia finally legalizes cannabis sales.
Early in-person voting began Friday, September 19, and runs through November 1. The last day to vote is on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4.
In 2021, when the Commonwealth had a Democratic House, Senate, and governor, Virginia legalized possession and home cultivation for adults. However, provisions legalizing cannabis sales had to be “re-enacted” again in 2022 to take effect. In November 2021, Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) and a Republican House majority were elected, and they refused to re-enact legal cannabis sales. The Democrats regained a majority in the House in 2023 and sent Gov. Youngkin bills to legalize sales in 2024 and 2025, but he vetoed them and other cannabis policy reforms. Gov. Youngkin is not eligible to run for a second term, and there is a stark contrast between the 2025 candidates.
Gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears (R), who is currently lieutenant governor, is anti-cannabis. In 2021, she told an audience at a rally that “marijuana is a gateway drug” and that she fired an employee of hers who was “on” marijuana. She has given no indication that she is open to legal sales. She claimed legalization is “decimating communities.”
Former United States Representative Abigail Spanberger (D) has repeatedly stated she wants to work with the General Assembly to legalize and regulate sales for adults. She would like to see cannabis tax revenues used for education in Virginia. Her voting record in Congress was mostly pro-cannabis policy reform.
While we do not have a full voter guide for other races, you can find more information from our friends at NORML. Of note, the current Democratic majority in the House of Delegates approved legalizing cannabis sales, while the Republican majority failed to do so in 2021-2022. In 2025, the Democratic-controlled House also sent Gov. Youngkin bills to protect parents from being considered child abusers based solely on the responsible use of cannabis (HB 2613), to expand delivery options for patients (HB 1989), and to allow for resentencing of people previously convicted of some cannabis violations (HB2555). He vetoed all three bills.
If you live in Virginia, you can check your voter registration status here or register to vote until October 24. The future of cannabis legalization will likely be decided for the next four years in this election.
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