Democratic lawmakers are intent on further flooding Virginia with recreational marijuana, as two bills (SB 448 and HB 698) that would greenlight the state-regulated sale of the Schedule 1 drug, move through the legislature.
The new law, if passed, would build on HB 2312 signed by former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam in 2021. The law allowed for simple possession, up to one ounce, and at-home cultivation of up to four plants.
The law did not allow any form of sale, manufacturer, or trafficking. Under the new law, Virginia will become a marijuana manufacturer.
In Jan. 2024, the Senate’s cannabis subcommittee pushed forward SB 448, which was introduced by Virginia state Sen. Aaron R. Rouse (D) to will allow the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to issue retail licenses by July 1 and begin sales by Jan. 1, 2025. In February, the House General Laws Committee passed an amended version of SB 448 that filled gaps between SB 448 and HB 698.
“After these bills passed their respective bodies. Sen. Rouse and I went to work immediately with stakeholders to harmonize them,” State Rep. Del. Paul Krizek (D) who sponsored HB 698 told the House General Laws Committee.
The bill would subject those who are chosen as licensees to a 9 percent retail tax (4.5 percent local and 4.5 percent state), and allow 350 retail cannabis stores and 100 cannabis processing facilities to operate statewide. That’s a dramatic increase from zero.
Gov. Youngkin has suggested he will likely veto the bill, and he absolutely must in order to protect Virginians.