Glenn Youngkin, the governor of Virginia, has vetoed legislation that would have established a retail cannabis market. Concerns regarding the potential impact on public health and safety were cited. Additionally, the governor stated that legislators should investigate alternative approaches to amending current marijuana legislation. He simply doesn’t want cannabis legalization in Virginia, though the state legalized recreational use three years ago.
This decision has sparked backlash from advocates who argue the only issue to health and safety is not having a legal retail market. Not having a legal retail market only serves to perpetuate issues related to public health and safety. Regulating the sale of cannabis through licensed dispensaries would provide better oversight and quality control, as well as generate tax revenue for the state.
A retail market would not only generate significant tax revenue for the state but also address issues of racial equity in drug enforcement in Virginia. By legalizing a retail market for cannabis, Virginia could also address these racial disparities by providing opportunities for minority-owned businesses in the industry, similarly to other states initiatives.
There continue to be no dispensaries in Virginia. House Bill 698 aimed to change this by creating a framework for Virginia’s retail cannabis dispensary industry. Under the measure Youngkin vetoed, legal retail marijuana sales would have begun in May 2025, with dispensary applications available in September. It would have taxed items at an 11.625% rate and authorized up to 350 retail outlets in Virginia.
Recreational cannabis was legalized 3 years ago, but there are still no dispensaries in Virginia, due to the recently vetoed bill. This decision comes as a surprise to many, given the growing trend of states legalizing marijuana for recreational use. The veto also raises questions about the future of marijuana legislation in Virginia and when there will be further attempts to establish a legal retail market in the state.
