The  BEST  Cannabis in VA

Under the amended framework, cannabis is legal only when produced, sold, and purchased through an approved license. Activity outside that system remains illegal, and in some cases now carries penalties elevated to match those already on the books for alcohol offenses.

The Virginia House of Delegates passed HB 942, a bill to protect parents who legally use marijuana from being deemed neglectful unless harm to the child is established.

Virginia lawmakers have advanced several cannabis bills, including proposals to: - Expand legal protections for hospital workers assisting terminally ill patients with medical marijuana, contingent on federal rescheduling.
- Establish a commercial market for recreational cannabis sales, with different start dates proposed by the Senate (January 1, 2027) and the House (November 1 of this year).
- Mandate automatic resentencing hearings for individuals convicted of certain felony marijuana offenses that occurred before the state legalized personal possession in July 2021.

With Democratic control of both chambers and a pro-reform Governor Abigail Spanberger at the helm, bills to legalize adult-use sales are advancing through committees, yet critical debates over launch timelines, criminal penalties, and market structure underscore the high stakes for small businesses, equity advocates, and consumers alike.

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging Customs and Border Protection's seizures of state-legal cannabis. In Virginia, bills to legalize recreational sales, provide resentencing relief, and allow medical use in hospitals advanced. Meanwhile, Hawaii's marijuana legalization efforts stalled for the session, South Dakota rejected bills to repeal the medical cannabis program, and Wisconsin lawmakers are circulating a bill for decriminalization.

The newsletter highlights a new Congressional Research Service report analyzing the constitutionality of the 280E tax penalty on marijuana businesses, alongside a GOP congressman's doubt that cannabis rescheduling is a current Department of Justice priority. It also reports on the New Hampshire Senate rejecting a marijuana legalization bill, advocacy pushback on penalty amendments in a Virginia cannabis sales bill, a Maryland hearing on psychedelic access, and a study showing AI models can approximate psychedelic narratives.

Virginia's potential November start date for marijuana sales is being debated, as some advocates seek a delay while others warn that postponing the launch could boost the illicit market.

Virginia lawmakers approved bills to legalize adult-use marijuana sales, with the House measure proposing a November 1 start date, and separate legislation to establish a resentencing process for past cannabis convictions that occurred before July 1, 2021. Newly sworn-in Gov. Abigail Spanberger supports legalizing adult-use sales.

A coalition of 37 cannabis and civil rights organizations is urging Virginia senators to remove "harmful amendments" from a bill to legalize recreational marijuana sales, arguing the new criminal penalties—including recriminalizing possession for those under 21 and felony charges for unlicensed cultivation—undermine the legislation's intent and will disproportionately harm minorities. Despite the opposition to these changes, the bill advances, outlining key details such as a maximum 12.625 percent retail tax, the establishment of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority, and sales potentially starting on November 1, 2026, under the House version.