Richmond, VA. — Virginia took a major step toward launching a regulated recreational marijuana market this week as lawmakers in both chambers of the General Assembly approved legislation that would legalize and oversee adult-use cannabis sales across the state. The move marks renewed momentum for cannabis reform following years of legislative gridlock and vetoes under the previous administration.
On Friday, the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee narrowly advanced a comprehensive marijuana retail bill sponsored by Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D), passing it by an 8–7 vote. On the same day, a companion measure introduced by Del. Paul Krizek (D) cleared a House General Laws subcommittee unanimously, signaling broad early support in the House of Delegates.
The proposals would establish a state-regulated marketplace for recreational marijuana, outlining licensing rules, product testing standards, taxation structures, and enforcement mechanisms. Lawmakers say the framework is closely based on recommendations released last month by the Joint Commission tasked with overseeing Virginia’s transition into a legal cannabis retail system.
Virginia legalized adult possession and limited home cultivation of marijuana in 2021, becoming the first state in the South to do so. However, efforts to authorize retail sales repeatedly stalled after former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, leaving the state without a legal marketplace while illicit sales continued to expand.
Sen. Aird argued that the absence of a regulated system has created unnecessary risks for consumers and missed opportunities for economic development. “Five years after legalization, Virginians still don’t have the safe, legal marketplace we promised,” she said during Friday’s committee hearing. “Every year we delay, the illegal market grows, and so do the health and safety concerns for our communities.”
Supporters of the new bills say the political landscape has shifted under Virginia’s newly elected pro-reform governor, who has signaled support for cannabis regulation as part of a broader criminal justice and economic reform agenda. If enacted, the legislation would allow licensed businesses to begin selling marijuana to adults 21 and older, while generating new tax revenue for the state and funding public health, education, and community reinvestment programs.
Opponents have raised concerns about youth access, impaired driving, and the pace of expansion, though proponents counter that regulation — not prohibition — offers the best tools for addressing those risks.
The bills will now move to full committee consideration and floor debates in the coming weeks, setting up what could be one of the most consequential policy decisions of the 2026 legislative session. If approved by both chambers and signed into law, Virginia would finally complete the transition it began in 2021, joining a growing list of states with fully legal and regulated cannabis markets.
