Plans to use cannabis in Virginia for adults halted due to billing failure

- Advertisement -

Although cannabis sales in Virginia to adults were expected to begin no later than January 1, 2024, plans for used cannabis sales to adults in the state have stalled for the foreseeable future.

Initially, the adult-use cannabis was sent by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to the office of former governor Ralph Northam, who signed the legislation into law. April 2021. The law included a clause requiring the general assembly to reactivate some provisions, such as the organizational structure and licenses for the market. However, in November 2021, the General Assembly shifted to Republican control, as did the House of Delegates, ultimately causing the temporary bills to fail.

In January, A.J House of Delegates Subcommittee He rejected a Republican-sponsored cannabis bill that would have allowed sales to begin before January 1, 2024. Republican delegate Keith Hodges, who sponsored a failed cannabis bill that would have created regulations for adult cannabis use, called the situation a “year health crisis” before rejecting the bill. Live on January 25th. “You can legally own marijuana in the Commonwealth of Virginia, but you can’t legally buy it,” Hodges said. “If we do nothing, we have a problem. We need to protect the citizens of Virginia from the illegal market.”

according to Director of NORML Development and Executive Director of Virginia NORML JM Pedini The outcome of the vote, Bedini explained, “was entirely predictable, but still disappointing, and it highlights the continued failure of House Republicans to lead on cannabis policy.” “Without access to a regulated market, consumers will not know if they are getting a tested safe product or one that has been contaminated with potentially dangerous adulterants.”

“This vote is another huge disappointment for Virginians, most of whom would prefer quick access to retail sales,” he said. Follow my hand. “Legislation that provides regulatory oversight is the Commonwealth’s best way to protect consumers of cannabis. By not taking legislative action, lawmakers are choosing to continue driving consumers into the unregulated underground market.”

MJBizDaily He points out that the failure to pass these cannabis legislative efforts was in part because incumbent Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has been pressuring lawmakers to defeat all cannabis bills.

On the 14th of February Senate Bill 1133sponsored by Senator Adam Ebben, was recommended passed indefinitely. “It is legal to possess small amounts of cannabis, it is legal to grow your own cannabis,” Tell Eben Subcommittee before the bill is rejected. “However, we are kind of slowing down the creation of a retail market that could save hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, that could provide a product that was tested for adults and that could be kept out of the hands of children.”

During odd years, the The Virginia General Assembly meets for only 30 days25, leaving lawmakers additional time to introduce an alternative.

At the same time chopsticks, the Virginia House of Delegates (85-9 votes) and the Virginia Senate (23-17 votes) approved a bill on February 24 to create stricter regulations for Delta-8 hemp products. If passed, it will create New rules on labelssuch as the percentage and milligrams of THC in each Delate-8 product, as well as the use of any language that markets the products as a medical treatment of any kind. House of Delegates Majority Leader Terry Kilgore said, “I think this will go a long way in making sure that our communities are safe and that people buy what they say they buy.”
The bill proposes that responsibility and management be between the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Virginia Cannabis Control Commission. Lawmakers like Sen. Scott Soroville don’t think dividing control is the best course of action. “This is a first step towards complete chaos,” Soroville said. “And the reason we’re doing it is because someone upstairs doesn’t want to talk about it.” The bill was recently sent to Governor Yongkin, and he is expected to be signed into law.