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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
Mugglehead Magazine
Alternative investment news based in Vancouver, B.C.

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Virginia advances bill to allow recreational cannabis sales this year

Medical dispensaries would be the first to sell to adult-use consumers

Virginia advances bill to allow recreational cannabis sales this year
Photo by Martin Kraft via Wikimedia Commons

The State of Virginia is one step away from letting adults over 21 buy recreational pot, almost two years ahead of plan.

On Tuesday, senators passed (21–18) SB 391, originally introduced by Senator Adam P. Ebbin in January. The law creates a licensing and regulatory structure for cannabis shops overseen by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.

The bill still needs to clear the House of Delegates, where modifications may be made before it reaches Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk for final approval.

The legislation also includes further regulations for the cultivation, manufacturing and wholesale of cannabis products after the state legalized cannabis last year.

If passed, the bill would allow some medical providers and hemp processors to sell cannabis starting Sept. 15, while modifying provisions related to criminal penalties. Currently, only patients with a medical licence can buy weed legally.

Read more: 3 US state weed laws kick in as advocates predict more bills to follow

Read more: Pennsylvania starts process to consider legalizing adult-use cannabis

Authorized medical and industrial cannabis processors will need to pay a one-time fee to sell pot recreationally. Pharmaceutical processors will pay a US$6-million fee to the tax department, while industrial hemp processors pay US$500,000.

While prohibition officially ended at the end of June last year, allowing for possession and personal cultivation, legal cannabis sales weren’t expected until 2024.

After HB 2312 and SB 1406 were introduced by Governor Northam and passed in the 2021 General Assembly, the state laid out a three-year process to legalize cannabis and create a regulatory framework for selling weed.

Read more: Wyoming considers bill to decriminalize regular cannabis possession

Read more: Cannabis legalization spikes banking in US states, study shows

 

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