Virginia took a step closer to a recreational cannabis market Thursday with the establishment of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority, which will set up and regulate the budding industry.
Today also marked the legalization of possession and personal cultivation of cannabis in the commonwealth, while legal sales of the plant are slated to begin Jan. 1, 2024.
The law, which passed through the General Assembly earlier this year, also provides the framework for the state’s cannabis industry and spells out the powers of the authority’s board of directors.
In broad strokes, the authority will establish regulations, issue licenses and carry out a social equity plan for the industry. Gov. Ralph Northam’s picks for the board and authority’s CEO hadn’t been named yet as of Wednesday afternoon.
The authority’s board is empowered to grant, suspend and revoke licenses needed by businesses to operate as cogs in the larger machine that will be the recreational cannabis industry.
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