After years of clearing the General Assembly only to meet a veto, legislation to create a legal, adult-use cannabis market in Virginia passed both chambers Tuesday — this time with a governor ready to sign it and retail sales poised to begin as early as November. The votes mark the clearest signal yet that Virginia is poised to move from legal possession without legal sales to a fully regulated marketplace, a transition that has eluded the commonwealth since 2021, when lawmakers first legalized simple possession.
Tuesday morning, the House passed House Bill 642, sponsored by Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, by a 65-32 vote. Hours later, the Senate approved Senate Bill 542, introduced by Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, by a narrow 21-19 margin after an initial failed vote.
Similar proposals have cleared the General Assembly in recent years — often with bipartisan backing — but were repeatedly vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin. This year, the political calculus has shifted. Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has vowed to sign legislation establishing a regulated retail market.
Under Krizek's bill, the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would administer the retail system, with no retail sales allowed prior to Nov. 1, 2026. "It's about fixing a status quo that is not working," he said, noting that while adult possession of cannabis is legal, retail sales remain unregulated.
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