Virginia Democrats Renew Fight With Governor Over Cannabis Sales

State lawmakers reintroduced legislation to set up a commercial adult-use program despite expecting another veto from Gov. Glenn Younkin

Virginia Democrats and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will continue to clash over cannabis policy in 2025 amid state lawmakers reintroducing bicameral legislation on Jan. 8 to allow for adult-use dispensary sales.


It’s been more than 3 1/2 years since Virginians 21 and older could legally possess and grow cannabis in their homes, but a divided government has plagued the state’s rollout of a commercial retail market since Youngkin assumed office in January 2022.

In the interim, the state’s residents have no in-state access to tested and regulated products, a health and safety concern that lawmakers hope to address in their revived legislation.

Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, and Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, sponsored the sales bill last year, when it passed in both chambers almost entirely along party lines, before Youngkin vetoed the legislation, saying it would endanger Virginia’s health and safety.

“Addressing the inconsistencies in enforcement and regulation in Virginia’s current laws does not justify expanding access to cannabis, following the failed paths of other states and endangering Virginians’ health and safety,” Youngkin wrote in his March 2024 veto statement.

Youngkin said decreased road safety was one of his main concerns with legalizing adult-use dispensary sales.

However, in Ohio, fatal traffic crashes involving cannabis dipped 30% last year, according to Ohio’s State Highway Patrol. This decrease came despite the Buckeye State launching adult-use sales in 2024, debunking one of the many myths often pushed by prohibitionists.

Continued at: https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/us-states/virginia/news/15711832/virginia-democrats-renew-fight-with-governor-over-cannabis-sales