Two Virginia lawmakers are pushing back against what they describe as widespread misinformation claiming that recently enacted state budget language temporarily legalized marijuana possession or distribution by minors.
In a joint statement released today, Delegate Paul Krizek (D) and Senator Lashrecse Aird (D) said reports circulating online incorrectly suggested that changes included in the state’s budget eliminated criminal penalties for underage marijuana possession until July 1, 2027.
“Let me be absolutely clear: the budget language passed by the General Assembly did not legalize cannabis possession by minors, did not legalize the distribution of cannabis to minors and did not eliminate Virginia’s criminal penalties protecting young people,” Krizek said. “Virginia law continues to prohibit underage possession and unlawful distribution of cannabis. The enactment clauses included in the budget did not change those protections.”
Aird said the controversy has been fueled by inaccurate interpretations of the legislation.
“Unfortunately, misinformation spreads quickly, particularly when it involves complex legislation,” she said. “Virginians deserve an honest conversation about cannabis policy based on the facts and what the law actually says—not on inaccurate interpretation based on political opinion.”
She also criticized opponents of legalization, saying that those promoting the claims “have never supported adult-use cannabis in our Commonwealth, have never supported establishing a regulated marketplace that would address the harms of decades of cannabis prohibition and stood by while the illicit market flourished in our communities for years.”
The lawmakers emphasized that the state’s budget language, which has now been incorporated into the Code of Virginia, did not change existing laws prohibiting marijuana possession by minors or the unlawful distribution of cannabis.
They also highlighted that the adult-use marijuana framework approved by the General Assembly includes safeguards such as age-verification requirements, mandatory product testing, child-resistant packaging, clear labeling, licensing requirements and enforcement tools aimed at limiting youth access and combating the illicit market.
The statement comes amid continued debate over Virginia’s adult-use marijuana legislation. Although marijuana possession by adults is legal in the commonwealth, lawmakers have yet to establish a regulated retail market after Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed legalization legislation passed earlier this year.
