The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Aaron Rouse, would allow for outdoor cultivation and a level playing field for big and small businesses.
Cannabis legalization faces new challenges and opportunities
Virginia legalized the possession and home cultivation of cannabis in 2021, but did not finalize the parts of the legislation that would create a fully regulated marketplace by 2024. The vacuum that followed legalization allowed for the creation of an illicit market that has skyrocketed from $1.8 billion a year to $2.4 billion in 2023, according to New Frontier, a group that studies the cannabis industry.
A survey from Christopher Newport University released this week found that 57% of Virginians support a legal retail market for cannabis, while 37% oppose it. The survey also showed that support for legalization varies by region, age, race, and political affiliation.
The Democrats, who regained the majority in the House of Delegates in the 2023 election, have made it a legislative priority to establish a legal cannabis market in the state. However, they face opposition from some Republicans, who argue that legalization will lead to increased crime, addiction, and health problems.
Senate panel votes for Rouse’s bill over Ebbin’s
On Thursday, the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Subcommittee on Cannabis, which is made up of three Democrats and two Republicans, voted to advance Senate Bill 448, sponsored by state Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, merging it with SB 423 by Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria.
Both bills shared the same goal of creating an adult-use cannabis market in the state, but with different means of getting there. A major point of contention was a provision in Ebbin’s bill that would have given the medical marijuana facilities that are already operating in Virginia a six-month head start as early as July 1, and required them to incubate smaller businesses.
Rouse’s bill, on the other hand, creates a level playing field for big and small players alike and would also allow for outdoor cultivation of cannabis, which Ebbin’s bill did not.
“I’m not very comfortable with a head start. I think we can have a process where everybody is trying at the same time to make it work,” said Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico County, a member of the committee.
VanValkenburg also pointed out that House Bill 698, sponsored by Del. Paul Krizek, D-Alexandria, which is identical to Ebbin’s measure, will likely reach the Senate later during the 2024 session, providing an opportunity to “continue to have conversations,” Van Valkenburg said.
“It’s probably valuable to have two different vehicles moving in across the Capitol,” he added.
What’s next for the cannabis bill?
The bill will now move to the full Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee, where it will face further scrutiny and possible amendments. If it passes the committee, it will then go to the Senate floor for a vote. If it passes the Senate, it will then cross over to the House of Delegates, where it will go through a similar process.
The bill’s supporters hope that it will reach the desk of Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who has expressed his support for legalizing cannabis in the state. However, the bill’s opponents hope that it will be defeated or vetoed along the way.
The bill’s fate will depend on the political will and compromise of the lawmakers, as well as the input and feedback of the stakeholders and the public.
