Virginia Senate approves bill that could start sales of Rec Weed in September

By Maureen Meehan

Adults in Virginia can legally buy cannabis starting Sept. 15, when a 451-page bill passed by the Senate Tuesday afternoon becomes law. Though its path remains uncertain in the House of Representatives, where GOP-controlled committees have so far avoided raising the issue, the bill would kick-start recreational marijuana sales by bringing current medical cannabis and hemp companies into the recreational marijuana market use by adults.

A handful of companies could start selling cannabis in September under Sen. Adam Ebbin’s (D-Alexandria) bill: the three companies that currently control the Virginia medical marijuana (MMJ) market, plus up to ten registered industrial hemp processors , reported the local public radio network VPM.

Photo by SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images

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Current law allows medical marijuana processors in Virginia to open five retail locations in addition to where they grow and process cannabis. These stores would also be allowed to sell to all adult customers under Ebbin’s bill. The industrial hemp locations would be allowed to open two more retail locations alongside where they grow marijuana.

Other retailers would have to wait almost 15 months until January 2024 to start selling. Ebbin says the transition period will help curb the black market. Ebbin’s bill requires medical marijuana companies to “incubate or sponsor and train qualified social justice applicants wishing to participate in the cannabis market for a period of six months for five qualifying social justice retailers.”

“It will ensure that the little guy — particularly those most disadvantaged by cannabis prohibition — gets the seed funding and jump-start support needed to make small businesses thrive in Virginia,” Ebbin said.

Equity and free market advocates have pushed for everyone to start at the same time, arguing that the head start gives the big players an unfair advantage. In a report released last week, the Minority Cannabis Business Association found that similar arrangements in other states have resulted in “a lack of diversity and legacy market proliferation.”

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Despite its complexity, the Senate spent less than 20 minutes discussing Ebbin’s bill. Three Republicans voted in favor of the bill and one Democrat abstained from voting.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.