{"id":86175,"date":"2026-06-16T05:22:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2026\/06\/16\/virginia-governor-and-lawmakers-unveil-newly-negotiated-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-sales-thats-expected-to-pass-this-month\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T19:46:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T03:46:50","slug":"virginia-governor-and-lawmakers-unveil-newly-negotiated-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-sales-thats-expected-to-pass-this-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2026\/06\/16\/virginia-governor-and-lawmakers-unveil-newly-negotiated-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-sales-thats-expected-to-pass-this-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Governor And Lawmakers Unveil Newly Negotiated Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales That\u2019s Expected To Pass This Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Virginia\u2019s governor and key lawmakers have announced the details of a plan to legalize recreational marijuana sales<\/a> through budget legislation this month following the veto of a previous proposal to enact the reform.<\/p>\n

Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) on Tuesday appeared at a press conference alongside legislators who sponsored bills she rejected earlier this year to unveil a new compromise approach that they have agreed on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have agreed to a proposal that will create a safe, legal and well-regulated cannabis marketplace here in the commonwealth of Virginia\u2014with recreational sales beginning on July 1, 2027,\u201d the governor said. \u201cWe will do it in a way that protects consumers, tamps down with the goal of eliminating the illicit market with clear enforcement and regulatory authority and creates a more competitive market for small businesses and farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what good governing and collaboration looks like\u2014bringing people together, listening carefully and focusing on solutions that are practical, enforceable and in the best interest of Virginians,\u201d she said. \u201cIn the end, we all wanted to deliver a marketplace that the commonwealth could implement effectively for the long-term. We have always had this same end goal\u2014an end goal that has been years in the making\u2014so I am proud to stand alongside these dedicated legislators and to be working alongside alongside them to deliver a marketplace built to last.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D), the lead sponsor of the Senate version of the previous cannabis measure Spanberger vetoed, said she believes the newly negotiated deal \u201cstrikes the right balance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVirginians deserve to know that they are buying items that are accurately labeled, properly tested and sold in a secure environment,\u201d she said. \u201cThis framework gives us a real path to move demand out of the illicit market and into a regulated system built around safety, accountability and consumer protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Del. Paul Krizek (D), who sponsored the House of Delegates version of the earlier marijuana legislation, said the goal is to \u201ccreate a cannabis market that is responsible\u201d and that gives small businesses \u201ca real chance to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor decades, cannabis enforcement created real consequences for individuals, families and documented disproportionate impact to communities,\u201d he said. \u201cA legal marketplace should not lock those same communities out of the economic opportunity created by reform.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of the responsible legalization that we have before you today is recognizing that those past cannabis policies did not affect every community equally as we move into a legal marketplace,\u201d Krizek said. \u201cWe have an obligation to make sure opportunity is not limited only to those who already have access to capital and political connections.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The new plan differs significantly in several ways from the earlier legislation that lawmakers passed earlier this year and that the governor vetoed.<\/p>\n

For example, it sets the launch date for recreational marijuana sales at July 1, 2027, which is what Spanberger proposed in contrast to the January 1 date in what lawmakers had passed.<\/p>\n

It also sets the legal public marijuana possession and per-transaction purchase limit at 2 ounces, an increase from the current legal limit of one ounce. The legislation lawmakers passed earlier this year would have allowed adults to possess up to 2.5 ounces.<\/p>\n

The bill also cedes to Spanberger on language to increase a marijuana excise tax from 6 percent to 8 percent after two years of legal sales.<\/p>\n

By way of compromise, the new agreement would make public consumption of marijuana punishable by a civil penalty of $250\u2014a significant increase from the $25 in current law but less harsh than the class 4 criminal misdemeanor the governor sought in her proposed changes to the previous bill. The penalty increase would not take effect until July 1 of next year, however, raising the possibility that lawmakers could pass legislation next session to rescind it.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers passed the initial 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

Spanberger said last week that she was having \u201creally productive\u201d and \u201cincredible\u201d conversations with lawmakers about crafting a compromise approach to legalizing adult-use cannabis sales<\/a>, and Marijuana Moment previously reported on the ongoing talks.<\/a><\/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

The effort to keep the issue alive was a topic of discussion 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, has tried 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

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I am excited to announce a compromise proposal for a safe, legal, and well-regulated cannabis marketplace here in Virginia.<\/p>\n

We will do it in a way that protects consumers, tamps down on the illicit market with clear enforcement and regulatory authority, and keep our kids safe\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Governor Abigail Spanberger (@GovernorVA) June 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

Here are the key details of the new cannabis plan<\/a> and how it compares to legislation that Spanberger vetoed\u2014SB 542<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0HB 642<\/a>\u2014as well as her previously proposed amendments to those measures:<\/strong><\/p>\n