Higgs Wise sat in a DC coffee shop wearing earrings with the words “legalize the right” on either side, urging people to remember that there are two sides to the traditional market: people selling and people buying. “Virginia legalized marijuana in retail through legislation through the budget, we`re just going to call it `hemp,`” Delegate Dawn Adams, who spoke out against colloquial language, told Virginia NORML. “All tetrahydrocannabinols — not just delta-9-THC, but delta-8-THC and other synthetic compounds — will be legal in Virginia with Governor Youngkin`s pen as long as it`s called `hemp,`” added Dr. Adams, a nurse with significant expertise in cannabis medicine. Other bills in the General Assembly dealing with the legalization of simple possession, including Lee J. Carter`s HB 87[43] and Steve Heretick`s HB 269,[44] were carried over to the 2021 session. In many states, recreational legalization and commercialization have taken place simultaneously, opening the door to this lucrative new market. Like the gold seekers who flocked west to find their fortunes more than 150 years ago, “green rush” entrepreneurs fled to the first West Coast legalization states, hoping to get a share of the new market. Virginia`s law legalizing adult use created a Public Health Advisory Council on Cannabis that advises the CCA on all health-related matters. CCA, in collaboration with the Advisory Council on Cannabis Public Health and inter-institutional partners, is working on several public health initiatives, including guidance on: (i) responsible cannabis use among adults; (ii) the health risks and dangers associated with cannabis use, including information on how cannabis use affects a person`s ability to operate a motor vehicle; and (iii) how cannabis use could affect ancillary issues, such as a person`s inability to access certain employment opportunities. With recreational sales stalled for the foreseeable future, Virginia`s medical cannabis program remains the only way for most residents to legally acquire marijuana without growing it themselves. However, there are currently only 46,935 registered patients in Virginia, according to the Pharmacy Council — a small number compared to the state`s total population of more than 8.6 million.
While marijuana is legal in Virginia, recreational sales aren`t, so people who want to smoke have few legal ways to get their hands on heads, and entrepreneurs eager to operate lawfully are increasingly tired of working in the shade. For the state`s emerging cannabis companies, navigating Virginia`s gray area required creativity and a brazen willingness to push boundaries as they watched lawmakers mumble this year on how best to create the framework for a legal market. Perkins has hosted dozens of events since then. It welcomed more than 200 members in the first year of the club. The club hosts events such as “puff and paint” and “wine and weed” parties, where people can come together and enjoy the newly legalized substance. In 2021, just one day after the Virginia legalization bill went into effect, the Youngkin campaign tweeted, “Glenn Youngkin will not seek to repeal [the law].” After pro-legalization Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives and the governor`s mansion last fall, legalization has become one of the most anticipated debates of this year`s legislature. Supporters have argued over who should have access to the billion-dollar industry first; Lobbyists have called on lawmakers to create a licensing framework and speed up the timeline for the start of legal sales this year. Nothing has happened and the marijuana market in Virginia remains in limbo. In 2021, Virginia became the first state in the South and the 17th in the country to legalize cannabis for adults! Adults can now legally possess and share up to one ounce of cannabis and grow up to four cannabis plants at their primary residence. You can view our full summary of the law here. Other aspects of the law – such as details on establishing a regulated cannabis market – will not come into force until 2024.
Although a bill – SB 391 – was introduced that would have accelerated legal sales by existing medical cannabis operators, the bill was defeated by a House subcommittee by a vote of 5 to 3. The legislature adjourned its 2022 regular session on March 12.