{"id":86135,"date":"2026-06-09T08:35:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T16:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2026\/06\/09\/virginia-governor-touts-productive-negotiations-on-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-sales-this-month\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T19:45:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T03:45:58","slug":"virginia-governor-touts-productive-negotiations-on-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-sales-this-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2026\/06\/09\/virginia-governor-touts-productive-negotiations-on-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-sales-this-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Governor Touts \u2018Productive\u2019 Negotiations On Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales This Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Virginia\u2019s governor says she is having \u201creally productive\u201d and \u201cincredible\u201d conversations with lawmakers about crafting a compromise approach to legalizing recreational marijuana sales that could pass as part of budget legislation this month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to get ahead of the process,\u201d Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said on Monday when asked about the fact that she has been holding meetings with legislators on the issue in recent days after vetoing an earlier proposal to enact the reform, as Marijuana Moment reported last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will say that I have had incredible conversations, really productive, and that\u2019s always been the case,\u201d she said, citing talks with Sen. Laschrecse Aird (D) and Del. Paul Krizek (D), who sponsored the Senate and House of Delegates versions of the cannabis commercialization legislation that the governor vetoed last month.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur teams and we have had substantial conversations where we have the shared priorities of wanting to have a legal framework for recreational market that can make sense of where we are today,\u201d Spanberger said, \u201cthat can put real constraints and guidelines on the market, with ensuring that we are working in the best interests of Virginians\u2014certainly protecting kids, ensuring public safety and community priorities\u2014but also ensuring that we have clear rules of the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very heartened by the progress we\u2019ve made, and I don\u2019t want to get ahead of it by promising any timelines, but we are moving in a very strong direction,\u201d she said in response to question from a reporter with WVTF radio.<\/p>\n

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NOW: @SpanbergerForVA<\/a> says she, @KrizekForVA<\/a> and @lashrecseaird<\/a> have had \u201csubstantial\u201d conversations about getting a legal recreational marijuana bill in the budget #valeg<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/uCOxLdps1J<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 BK (@BradKutner) June 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Lawmakers passed the cannabis sales bills in March<\/a>, but the governor then suggested changes to the legalization proposal<\/a>\u2014including delaying the start date for sales by six months, increasing taxes and instituting new criminal penalties for cannabis consumers. The legislature in April declined to take up the amendments<\/a> during a one-day reconvened session, however, effectively rejecting them. Spanberger then issued a veto<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Krizek, the sponsor, of the now-vetoed bill, called the ongoing discussions \u201cpromising.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s been fair and knowledgeable, and we\u2019ve made some great progress on a compromise,\u201d he said<\/a> of the governor. \u201cI\u2019d say we\u2019re one big team on this effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sources told Marijuana Moment last week that the administration and legislators are getting closer to reaching a deal on the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe negotiation with the governor has been very fruitful and it is clear that we have made a great deal of progress,\u201d Krizek said on Friday.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Spanberger told Marijuana Moment that the governor \u201chas made clear that she continues to support setting up a legal retail marketplace for cannabis that prioritizes the health and safety of Virginians, protects communities and consumers and operates with clear enforcement and regulatory authority.\u201d<\/p>\n

The governor and the sponsors of the legalization legislation \u201cshare these same goals, and she looks forward to moving this across the finish line together,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

Following Spanberger\u2019s veto, top lawmakers have been openly discussing the possibility of including provisions to legalize adult-use cannabis sales in still-outstanding budget legislation<\/a> that they are due to pass by July 1.<\/p>\n

Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R), however, objected to the idea of including cannabis sales legalization in the fiscal legislation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s legislating through the budget,\u201d he told<\/a> WWBT-TV. \u201cIt is something that is not supposed to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

The effort to keep the issue alive was a topic of discussion last week at the first meeting of the legislature\u2019s Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market<\/a> since the governor\u2019s move to kill the previous proposal to regulate adult-use marijuana sales.<\/p>\n

The governor, meanwhile, is continuing to try to publicly explain her veto\u2014including by saying it is her view that \u201ctaking a little bit longer\u201d to launch the market is not something she sees as \u201cnegative\u201d<\/a> because it is more important to get the details right than to do it fast.<\/p>\n

A recent survey found that bipartisan majorities of Virginia voters wanted Spanberger to sign the cannabis legislation<\/a> into law, and that they specifically disagreed with her desire to slow the launch timeline for legal sales.<\/p>\n

The governor recently acknowledged in a separate interview that \u201ca lot of people are not pleased\u201d with her veto of the cannabis legislation<\/a>. \u201cFriends and family are displeased as well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Spanberger has repeatedly responded to criticism of her cannabis amendments from the bill sponsors and advocates<\/a> by saying the suggested changes came after she spoke to the leaders of other states that have already implemented adult-use marijuana markets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Spanberger declined to name any other governors she talked to about cannabis in response to a question from Marijuana Moment, however.<\/p>\n

The governor separately recently sought to explain her veto in an earlier interview, reiterating that she supports launching a legal cannabis market<\/a> but worried about what she called a \u201crushed timeline\u201d and \u201cfar more stores across Virginia\u201d than she thinks are appropriate.<\/p>\n

Prior to vetoing the cannabis commerce bill, the governor did sign separate legislation to provide resentencing relief for people with past cannabis convictions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Personal marijuana possession and home cultivation of marijuana has been legal in Virginia since 2021, but then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) twice vetoed bills to provide consumers with a way to legally purchase regulated adult-use cannabis.<\/p>\n

Aird and Krizek, the sponsors of the legalization bills, had urged colleagues to vote against the governor\u2019s amendments<\/a>\u2014even if that meant risking a veto from Spanberger when the legislation returned to her desk, which has now occurred.<\/p>\n

Here are the other key details of the cannabis bills\u2014SB 542<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0HB 642<\/a>\u2014as approved by lawmakers and with the governor\u2019s suggested amendments:<\/strong><\/p>\n