Democrats in the legislature plan to create a recreational cannabis market on the heels of winning the Governor’s seat and a commanding majority in the House of Delegates.
The plan, which could see recreational cannabis being sold in Virginia as soon as the fall of 2026, will be presented by the Joint Commission on the Future of Cannabis Sales on December 2nd.
The Commission was created earlier this year to create a plan for marijuana sales in the state after possession and home cultivation was legalized in 2021.
Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, argued that the retail market will be ‘well-regulated’ and a net good for the state.
“There’s going to be a lot of new and interesting programs and good stuff in there that will help create a well-regulated market that’s going to be good for everybody,” Krizek said.
While legislative Democrats and people in the cannabis industry touted the benefits of a retail market, law enforcement groups have warned that it could cause an increase in crime. (RELATED: Governor Glenn Youngkin At Odds With Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger)
Major law enforcement associations in the state came out against creating a retail market in a letter penned to the Virginia legislature last year.
“A retail market in Virginia will mean an increase in crime, arrests, DUI’s with no significant change in tax revenue,” the letter claimed.
Still, the plan to create a retail market seems likely to move forward as incoming Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger voiced her support for one, a turnaround from Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
“I support a legal marketplace for cannabis,” Spanberger said in August. “I want to ensure that it is fully regulated, people know what they’re buying, and revenues go towards education.”