Marijuana is legal to possess in Virginia, and yet nobody has a license to sell it. Lawmakers are debating a bill to create a system of licensing dealers.
The debate this year over marijuana is like a flashback to the debate that happened last year. Democrats want to create a retail marketplace and Republicans don’t.
“Virginians, frankly, are tired of the politicization of marijuana regulation,” says J.M. Pedini at the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws. “Legalization was enacted in 2021, and here we are four years later and the only access to legal and regulated products remains through the medical cannabis program.”
Last year, the governor vetoed the bill – an action Todd Gathje at the Family Foundation hopes he’ll repeat again this year.
“In 2021, cannabis use was estimated to be responsible for 10% of drug related emergency department visits in the U.S., and it accounts for 11% of psychosis cases in emergency rooms totaling approximately 90,000 cases,” Gathje says. “These are some excerpts from the governor’s veto message explanation from last year. Nothing has changed.”
A bill introduced by Senator Aaron Rouse of Virginia Beach has already cleared one Senate committee and appears to be in good shape at the General Assembly. But the governor has already indicated that he’ll veto the bill if it gets to his desk.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
Marijuana is legal to possess in Virginia, and yet nobody has a license to sell it. Lawmakers are debating a bill to create a system of licensing dealers. Read More
