Legislation that sought to establish a framework for sales of recreational cannabis in Virginia failed to advance in a House subcommittee Tuesday. (BizSense file photo)
Legislation that would have teed up a recreational cannabis retail market in Virginia was effectively defeated Tuesday in a House of Delegates subcommittee.
The legislation was one of several bills introduced in this year’s General Assembly session that sought to fully open up the market beyond the medicinal marketplace that’s currently legal.
Senate Bill 1133, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Adam Ebbin, would have allowed the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to begin to issue licenses for recreational cannabis businesses on July 1, 2024.
The bill also would have permitted existing state-sanctioned medical cannabis companies to grow and sell recreational cannabis products starting July 1 of this year.
Prior to Tuesday’s subcommittee vote, Ebbin encouraged his House colleagues to roll the legislation closer to consideration by the full House.
“It is legal to possess small amounts of cannabis, it is legal to grow your own cannabis. Yet we are kind of dragging our feet on establishing a retail market that could provide hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, could provide a tested product for adults and could be kept out of the hands of children,” Ebbin said.
His pitch didn’t sway the Republican-controlled subcommittee, which voted without discussion 5-3 to “pass by indefinitely,” which essentially tabled the bill. While the bill could be reconsidered, it’s most likely that it will not be acted upon further this session and is effectively dead.
Tuesday’s vote was a rehash of Ebbin’s attempt last year to launch a retail market, which also failed to move out of a Republican-controlled House subcommittee.
Ebbin’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
SB 1133 passed 24-16 in the Senate on a largely party-line vote last week, with Democrats voting in favor alongside some Republican support.
It is legal to grow, possess and consume pot for personal recreational use in Virginia. It is illegal to sell recreational cannabis. As things stand, only the state-approved medical marijuana operators are able to sell marijuana in Virginia. The 2021 legislation that legalized personal use of cannabis requires that elements of the legislation be reenacted to launch a retail market.
Other bills that were intended to establish a retail market but didn’t move forward out of committee this session were House Bill 1464, sponsored by Republican Del. Keith Hodges, and Republican Del. Michael Webert’s House Bill 1750.
Legislation that sought to establish a framework for sales of recreational cannabis in Virginia failed to advance in a House subcommittee Tuesday. (BizSense file photo)
Legislation that would have teed up a recreational cannabis retail market in Virginia was effectively defeated Tuesday in a House of Delegates subcommittee.
The legislation was one of several bills introduced in this year’s General Assembly session that sought to fully open up the market beyond the medicinal marketplace that’s currently legal.
Senate Bill 1133, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Adam Ebbin, would have allowed the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority to begin to issue licenses for recreational cannabis businesses on July 1, 2024.
The bill also would have permitted existing state-sanctioned medical cannabis companies to grow and sell recreational cannabis products starting July 1 of this year.
Prior to Tuesday’s subcommittee vote, Ebbin encouraged his House colleagues to roll the legislation closer to consideration by the full House.
“It is legal to possess small amounts of cannabis, it is legal to grow your own cannabis. Yet we are kind of dragging our feet on establishing a retail market that could provide hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, could provide a tested product for adults and could be kept out of the hands of children,” Ebbin said.
His pitch didn’t sway the Republican-controlled subcommittee, which voted without discussion 5-3 to “pass by indefinitely,” which essentially tabled the bill. While the bill could be reconsidered, it’s most likely that it will not be acted upon further this session and is effectively dead.
Tuesday’s vote was a rehash of Ebbin’s attempt last year to launch a retail market, which also failed to move out of a Republican-controlled House subcommittee.
Ebbin’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
SB 1133 passed 24-16 in the Senate on a largely party-line vote last week, with Democrats voting in favor alongside some Republican support.
It is legal to grow, possess and consume pot for personal recreational use in Virginia. It is illegal to sell recreational cannabis. As things stand, only the state-approved medical marijuana operators are able to sell marijuana in Virginia. The 2021 legislation that legalized personal use of cannabis requires that elements of the legislation be reenacted to launch a retail market.
Other bills that were intended to establish a retail market but didn’t move forward out of committee this session were House Bill 1464, sponsored by Republican Del. Keith Hodges, and Republican Del. Michael Webert’s House Bill 1750.
It would be so much safer to have the option of tested products marketed and sold in controlled atmospheres. See how it’s done in Massachusetts for instance. IDs are double checked upon entering the store which is operated like a pharmacy. The taxes generated could be targeted for the improved mental health programs the legislature claims it wants to provide.
There are currently 4 medical pot companies that own the VA market. You can thank those 4 company’s lobbying firms for once again stopping the general retail sales in Virginia. It is going to take a very large national retail company to take on the money those 4 companies spend in lobbying to protect their VA medical only market. So it is another year of purchasing illegally through the drug dealer and when it is in my possession it is legal…sigh.
That sounds great and creates a good story for us vs them. But just facts…Greenleaf Medical literally donated to Adam Ebbin who sponsored the bill. They also donated to opponents. To each their own narrative though, I guess.
https://www.vpap.org/donors/327117-green-leaf-medical-of-virginia/
Actually it is NEVER legal it is just the state does not make it a criminal offense but the substances possession is still 100% illegal no matter what the amount under federal law. It needs to be corrected federally and not piecemeal. States with legal recreation sales still have issues as a lot of industries (trucking, finance, leasing firms) stay away because of the gray area due to the federal ban.
WHO are the 5 repubs who tabled this bill in committee. I can’t pin down their names. How can we target these Know-Nothing simps w/o their IDs?
The bill was a debacle and they knew it. Be patient it is coming and better to get it right than what has been going on