Virginia General Assembly advances cannabis retail framework

After years of clearing the General Assembly only to meet a veto, legislation to create a legal, adult-use cannabis market in Virginia passed both chambers Tuesday — this time with a governor ready to sign it and retail sales poised to begin as early as November.

The votes mark the clearest signal yet that Virginia is poised to move from legal possession without legal sales to a fully regulated marketplace, a transition that has eluded the commonwealth since 2021, when lawmakers first legalized simple possession.